Couples Therapy
by oblivious-massacre
Summary: After a summer of romance, Rose Hathaway returns home to some pretty big changes. Has the man she loves been lying to her all along? How can their relationship survive when they must hide it from everyone? Rose will have to find out through some pretty awkward sessions of couples therapy. Believe me, it's not what you think.
1. Love and Death

"Oh my God, Liss! You wouldn't believe the summer I've had. It was…amazing." I said to my best friend, Lissa, as we hugged. We'd both just gotten back from summer vacations. It was the first time we'd been away from each other for more than two weeks. Although it sucked not having my best friend around, I'd found a few things to occupy my time and I couldn't wait to tell Lissa about it.

"Mine, too!" she exclaimed, stepping out of my arms. When I gave her a dubious look, she added, "Yeah, I mean, it sucked that it was a school trip, but Italy was beautiful. Christian and I even managed to sneak away from the group to go see Romeo and Juliet's castles. It was really romantic."

I grimaced. "A romantic getaway with Christian; you're dream come true, my nightmare realized."

She laughed, flipping her long blonde hair behind her back. "Say what you want, Rose, but I guarantee you I had a better time in Italy than you did on the Shore."

"You would be mistaken." I laughed. "You may have gone to another country, but I – "

The bell rang for first period, cutting me off. Lissa frowned. "Tell me the rest at lunch?"

I nodded, gave Lissa a hug, and headed off toward my locker to get my books. Lissa and I had been disappointed to find out that we only had one class together this year, but at least we got the same lunch period. I couldn't wait to tell her what I'd done over the summer at the Jersey Shore. As I walked to my first class – English – I thought back on my last night there.

I'd been lounging around the beach house my parents had rented all day long. I'd occasionally gone out to the beach, but it hadn't been any fun without someone to hang out with. I was just about to start packing my things when I got a text from Anthony, this guy I'd been hanging out with all summer.

We'd met when we were put in seats next to each other on a roller coaster on the boardwalk. He'd been with some friends, but there was an odd number of people so he had to ride with a stranger. Luckily, I'd been the one he was seated next to. We started talking while we waited for the ride to start.

"So, you here with anyone?" he asked. I couldn't help but notice how his deep brown eyes glistened under all those lights. He was _hot_.

I shook my head. "Nope. It's just me. I could have come with my…" I paused, wondering if I should tell him I'd come here with my parents. He looked a lot older than me, so he'd probably think that was stupid. "…roommates, but none of them wanted to come with me."

He laughed. "They sound like an exciting bunch. Why come to the Shore if you aren't going to go out and enjoy yourself?"

I shrugged. "I don't get it, either. But it doesn't matter. I can have fun without them."

"You could hang with us, if you want. I can't guarantee that you'll have the best experience of your life with us, but I can promise you some fun." He smiled at me and my stomach did a little flip. An absolutely gorgeous guy – who I'd just met – was inviting me to hang out with him. I'd gotten plenty of attention from guys before, but most of them were my age and were completely immature.

"Thanks. That'd be great. I'm Rose, by the way." I held my hand out toward him.

He took it, giving it one strong shake before saying, "Anthony. It's nice to meet you."

After that the ride started, so we couldn't talk anymore.

I sighed, wishing I could turn back time. Since I couldn't, I decided I may as well pay attention to my English lesson.

[BREAK]

Three hours later, I stood in the lunch line with Lissa, Eddie, Mia, Mason, and Christian, my friends. I'd known most of them since I started kindergarten, but had only been friends with Lissa since then. I became friends with Eddie in second grade, bonding with him over our love of purple glue. I know, it's disgusting, but when we were in second grade we loved to eat it. Mia and I hadn't seen eye-to-eye at first. In fifth grade, we'd been taking a math test and the teacher took up both of our tests, saying that I was cheating off of Mia and that she was letting it happen. Mia blamed me for getting her a failing grade on a test, so she'd broken into my locker and stuffed it with peanut butter. I'd been so amazed at how she did it that I wasn't even mad. We became fast friends after that, especially with Lissa's help.

Mason was a different story altogether. He'd moved to our tiny town in the seventh grade. My group of friends – Lissa, Eddie, me, and Mia at the time – had invited him to have lunch with us when we noticed he wasn't making any friends. Mason was shy at first, but we made sure we made him feel as comfortable as possible and he soon started to open up, especially to me. It was no secret that Mason had a bad crush on me. We went out once, but I just didn't feel that way about him, so I told him it'd be best if we stayed friends. It was obvious that he didn't like that idea, but he dealt with it. He'd only had one other girlfriend and that hadn't gone well at all. I knew he still had a crush on me, but we never brought it up.

Now, Christian is the _really _difficult friend to explain. When we were younger, Christian and I used to pick on each other. He'd make a tail of paperclips on the back of my shirt when I wasn't looking, and I'd change his name on his cubby from "Christian" to "Christina". It was all fun and games until he tripped me on the playground, making me scrape my legs and arms up. When our teacher sent me to the nurse, I came up with a plan.

When we lay down for nap time, I waited for the teacher to leave the room. I knew she left the classroom every day when we took our naps because I'd spent the majority of nap time every day awake. When she finally did leave, I grabbed a glue bottle and poured it on Christian's head as he slept. He didn't even wake up when I did it! When he did, though, he ratted me out and got me sent to the principal's office. He had never forgiven me for pouring glue on his head and I had never forgiven him for being a pansy and telling on me.

That all changed last year, though. Christian and Lissa had somehow gotten the same exact schedule our first semester of ninth grade. They started doing projects together after school three days a week. But then it turned to four days, then five, until Christian finally asked her out. I tried convincing her to break up with him – partly because I didn't like him and partly because, I'll admit it, I was jealous of losing time with Lissa to him – but I eventually gave up when she wouldn't. I could see how happy he made her, and that was all I wanted for her. Christian and I eventually learned to get past our differences, but I still liked to mess with him.

"The Trevi fountain was amazing! I took pictures of Christian and I in front of it, and we got some good shots of us making wishes, too. You guys should check them out on my Facebook page." Lissa said, almost jumping up and down with excitement.

Eddie leaned toward me and whispered, "Has she talked about _anything _since she got back?"

I laughed. "No. But don't spoil it for her. It's been a long time since I've seen her this happy."

Eddie's face fell. "Yeah, I know. It's nice to see her acting the way she used to. Before…" He looked down. He didn't need to finish that sentence. I already knew what he was talking about.

Lissa's mom had died two years ago. She'd been having problems breathing and went to the doctor, who told her that she had bronchitis. When they put her on antibiotics and they didn't work, they ordered more tests to be done. By the time they found out she had lung cancer, it was already too late. There was nothing they could do. Lissa's mom died one month after being diagnosed. The cancer had been really aggressive, leaving Lissa's mom in constant pain. She'd actually called me Lissa once when I'd come over to see her for Christmas. Her dad had been taking care of her and her older brother, Andre, ever since.

"Rose," Lissa called, catching up to me once we got out of the line. "What was it you were going to tell me about earlier? About your trip?"

I smiled, thinking back on my time at the Shore again. "I'll tell you after school. It's something that needs to stay between us."

We sat down at our lunch table, Lissa next to me and Christian on her other side. Mia, Mason, and Eddie all sat across from us. "Well, I meant to tell you…"

I forgot about my lunch for a moment and stared at Lissa. "No. Do _not _tell me that you can't hang out after school. _Again_! You never want to hang out with me anymore." I stuck my bottom lip out a little, knowing Lissa couldn't refuse me when I made that face. She had such a kind heart that it was hard for her to say no to almost anything.

"But I…" Lissa looked over to Christian, apparently wanting him to step in. When he didn't, she turned back to me and said, "Okay. But I have something I have to take care of at five."

I shrugged. "I'll take what I can get. So, Eddie, are you going to eat that cinnamon roll?"

[BREAK]

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. When the final bell of the day rang, I met up with Lissa and the rest of the gang in front of the school. "So, what are you guys doing tonight?" I asked.

Mia and Eddie looked at each other for a second before looking away. A bright scarlet began creep upon her cheeks. I wondered what those two were up to, but decided not to say anything…yet.

"I'm heading to the movies with my parents. They want to spend time with me." Mia made a face, showing us all just how delighted she was to have a date with her parents.

Eddie nodded toward Mason. "We're heading over to my place. I'm finally going to teach Mason how to shoot…well, anything." Eddie laughed.

"Hey, I can't help it that I've never shot a gun before. You know how my parents are." Mason exclaimed.

Christian shook his head. "And what exactly did you tell them you were doing tonight? I'm guessing they wouldn't let you go over to Eddie's if they knew the truth." Mason's parents were big-time animal lovers. They wouldn't swat a fly. Literally.

"I just told them I was hanging out over at Eddie's place." Mason shrugged. "It's the truth."

Before anyone could say anything else, Lissa's dad showed up. I was surprised because Liss and I usually walked home. Our houses weren't that far apart; it would only take us two minutes to walk to each other's house. It took us about ten minutes to walk from our houses to the school. From the look on Lissa's face, she was surprised her dad had showed up, too.

We said our goodbyes and hopped into the car. I made small talk with Lissa's dad, telling him about how much fun the Shore was and how I was excited for my new classes – even though I wasn't, but it never hurt to tell an adult you like your classes. When we got to Lissa's house, we made snacks and ran up to her room, locking the door behind us.

"Okay, tell me everything." Lissa said with a huge smile on her face.

So I did. I told her about how Anthony and I had met, how we'd hung out almost every single day together, and gotten to know each other. "He's really great. He's over six feet tall, with dark brown eyes and hair. And, man, does he have muscles." I shivered in delight just thinking about it.

"Did you hook up?" she asked, clearly excited that I'd finally found a guy I really liked.

I shook my head. "I mean, we made out a lot and stuff, but it never went any further than that. I really, _really _like him, but I don't want my first time having sex to be with someone I'm never going to see again. I want it to be special."

Liss frowned, clearly not getting the answer she'd expected. "But that would be special. Think about it: you meet a really hot stranger, get to know each other a little bit, have adventures on the Jersey Shore, and have hot, passionate sex before you have to leave each other. Sounds kind of like a romance novel, minus the drama."

"Sorry, but I don't want my first time to be like that. I mean, I'm all for hot and passionate stuff, but I also want…it to mean something."

Lissa's face softened and she smiled. "Yeah, I get it. Too bad this Anthony guy doesn't live anywhere near here. Where did you say he was from again?"

"His family is from Russia, but he's lived in Colorado almost his whole life. I don't know if he's still there or not. He said he'd just graduated and was looking for a job out of state."

"Wait." Lissa paused, her forehead scrunching up in thought. "He isn't going to college? Did he say why?"

Uh oh. I'd forgotten about a couple of details that Lissa might not find so exciting. "Uh, well, that's the thing… He kind of graduated from college in the spring."

"What?! Oh my God, is he some kind of super genius or something? Think you could get him to tutor me?" she laughed.

I laughed, too, but it wasn't the same kind of laugh as Lissa's. Mine was nervous. I honestly had no idea how she would react to my next bit of information, but I was dying to tell someone about what had happened. I didn't want to spare a single detail, even if she looked down on me because of those details.

"No, not exactly. See, the thing is…" I smiled sheepishly.

"C'mon, Rose! Just tell me already."

"He's twenty-four."

Liss stopped bouncing, keeping her face blank. She was eerily silent, making me feel uneasy. Just when I was about to tell her to say something – _anything _– she spoke. "And he kept this…flirtation going on with a seventeen-year-old because…?"

I got up off Lissa's bed and turned around, walking to her vanity. I pretended to fix my hair as I answered, "Um, because…I told him I was eighteen?" I squeezed my eyes closed, hoping she wouldn't yell at me too loud.

"Rose!"

"I knew that was coming." I said quickly, turning around as I did. "Look, it's not that big of a deal. Like I said, all we did was make out a little."

"No." She shook her head. "No, you liked him. I can tell. It wasn't just about his looks, was it?"

I shrugged. "So what if it wasn't? Look, I'm never going to see him again, so it doesn't really matter. No one will ever find out what happened, especially since I kept it a secret from my parents, who were there the whole time. It…it was just a fling, that's all."

She shook her head. "I still don't think it was right for you to lie to him like that…but I guess you're right. You didn't do any _real _harm."

"See? Now let me tell you about how he kissed!"

We talked about our different experiences over the summer for about an hour. I told Lissa about how safe and warm I'd felt snuggled in Anthony's arms on the beach. She told me about how she and Christian had had a picnic on a vineyard, and how they'd fallen asleep in each other's arms while watching the sunset. We were so caught up in our romantic tales that we both nearly fell off the bed when Lissa's phone started ringing.

As she got up to answer it, my phone started going off as well. We looked at each other, curious. I can't say how Lissa felt, but I had an ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach. When I got my phone out, I saw that I had three new text messages instead of a missed call. I opened them as Lissa stepped into the hallway to talk on her phone.

_How was your first day back home? _That was from Anthony. The ominous feeling in my stomach was replaced with butterflies. I'd been wanting to text him all day, but I didn't know if he'd wanted to keep in touch after summer or not. I decided not to reply to that one, just in case the other two messages were from him as well.

_Can you send me your address? I got you something I think you're going to like. _That one was also from Anthony. The butterflies increased and I felt a blush creeping on my face. Okay, this was starting to get ridiculous. Why couldn't I feel this way about someone who actually lived nearby and who was my own age? I sighed and opened the last message.

_**SOS! CALL ASAP! **_That was from Eddie. An icy chill went down my spine. Last year, we all went with Mason's parents to Galveston for spring break. They'd had some sort of event going on all week for people interested in saving animals. They'd wanted us to go with them, but Mason had finally talked them into letting us do our own thing while they were at the meetings. But we all had to agree that if anything went wrong, we would send an SOS message to them. Ever since, we'd been using that same system so that if anything ever happened to one of us, we would all know immediately and might be able to get help.

I hopped off the bed as fast as I could and went to open the door, but Lissa came back in before I could. I was about to tell her about the message from Eddie when I noticed she was crying. "Lissa, what's wrong? What happened?!" I asked, grabbing her shoulders and looking her in the eyes.

She shook her head. "Mason's in the hospital. He had an accident while he and Eddie were hunting…" Lissa broke off into sobs again.

I grabbed her arm and began leading her out the room. "Come on. We've got to get to the hospital."

[BREAK]

Thirty minutes later, I stood in the ICU waiting room with Mia and Lissa, who were crying hysterically, and Eddie and Christian. Eddie was devastated. He'd told us that he and Mason were on their way back from the woods to Eddie's house when Mason lost his grip on the gun he was holding. He didn't know how it happened, but the gun went off and shot Mason.

I sat down next to Eddie and put my arm around him. "Hey, stop being so hard on yourself. It was an accident. It could've happened to you."

"That's the thing…" He shook his head before looking at me. "If it was me, it wouldn't be as bad. My parents know I go hunting; they know there's a risk that I could get hurt. But Mason's parents had no idea what he was doing. If they did, they wouldn't have wanted him to take that risk. But I talked him into going hunting without getting his parent's permission. This is all my fault."

"No, no it's not." I tilted his head so that he was looking at me. "Mason didn't get shot because he didn't get his parent's permission. He got shot because of an accident. It's something that could've happened even if he did get his mom or dad's permission."

Tears fell out of Eddie's eyes and I wrapped him in my arms. I hated seeing him this way. Eddie was usually a very happy person, so seeing him like this made my heart ache. "It's my fault. I did this. It's my fault…" Eddie murmured.

I didn't try to talk sense into him again. I knew it would be a pointless endeavor. Instead, I rocked him back and forth in my arms and let him get it all out of his system. I don't know how long we stayed like that. It felt like forever. We couldn't do anything but wait, wait, and wait some more. At some point, we all wound up in a circle on the floor.

Christian had Lissa's head in his lap. He stroked her hair as she silently cried. Every now and then, she'd close her eyes and I would think she'd fallen asleep, but then she would hiccup or another sob would escape her lips and her eyes would snap open. I couldn't tell what Christian was saying, but he was whispering what sounded like soothing things in her ear.

Mia sat on Eddie's right and I sat on his left, both of us taking each of his hands in our own. We didn't say anything, but we didn't need to. At least, until Mason's parents showed up.

"How _dare _you?!" Mason's mom, Rebecka, shouted at Eddie, sticking her finger in his face when he stood up. "How could you do something like this, Eddie? We thought you were Mason's friend!"

"I am!" Eddie gasped. Tears flowed freely down his face. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't think – "

"That's right!" Mason's dad, David, joined in. "You _didn't _think, and now our boy has to pay for that."

"Excuse me."

The hard tone that Lissa's dad, Eric, used was unlike him. It was so unlike him that everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at him. "I realize that you're upset right now, that you're worried for your son. But taking it out on Eddie isn't going to do anything except make him feel worse right now and make you feel worse later. Eddie is human, like us. He can't see the future. How could he know that something would go wrong when he's gone hunting without something happening so many times before?"

Rebecka looked like she might burst, but she never got the chance to.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ashford?"

A doctor had suddenly appeared in the doorway of the waiting room. He was dressed in green scrubs, gloves, and a cap. I noticed he had blood on his gloves. We all watched as Mason's parents walked over and talked to him.

We couldn't hear anything from where we were, but we really didn't need to. Mason's mom collapsed in a heap on the floor. As David's arms went around his wife, she let out a loud, horrible wail. After that, things happened so fast that they were a blur.

Eddie started whispering, "No, no, no," over and over again. Lissa sat up and let Christian hold her as she sobbed. Mia's face was completely drained of blood, turning her skin the color of glaciers. There was no emotion on her face; she just stared at the floor without really seeing it.

I knew I was strong. After all, I was always the one to hold the group together when it looked like inevitable disaster was heading our way. But, at that moment, I no longer felt like Rosemarie Hathaway. I saw the walls that I'd built up to keep myself from becoming an emotional mess so that I could take care of my friends come crashing down. A sob made its way up my throat and through my lips.

A million thoughts ran through my head at once. _I'm never going to see Mason again. I'll never see his smile, hold his hand, or tease him about liking me ever again. We won't graduate together like we'd planned. We won't get to go to prom together. Mason is _gone.

I'd never experienced pain like that before. It was overwhelming. I didn't know how to make it stop, but I desperately tried. I fought so hard to get a hold of myself, but nothing worked. I couldn't block it out.

I guess that's why I passed out.

[BREAK]

My alarm woke me up promptly at six in the morning. I couldn't remember coming home last night. My body ached and my mind was fuzzy. _Oh, God, I didn't drink last night, did I?_

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, willing the last of my sleepiness away. I took my time stretching, allowing my body to get used to moving. I guessed that I hadn't drunk anything alcoholic last night because I didn't have a headache, but I did feel like I'd been under the influence of something. _What the hell did we do last night?_

I got up, took a quick shower, and got dressed. I decided to pull my long, brown hair in a ponytail. Even after the shower, I still looked horrible. I had bags under my eyes, even though I felt like I'd slept for days. My skin was pale and my cheeks looked caved in. Again, I asked myself what had happened. I couldn't remember anything. For some reason, I felt like there was something my mind was trying _not _to remember.

When I went downstairs, my mom looked at me as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked, going to the cabinet. I definitely needed breakfast this morning.

My mom – Janine Hathaway, best real estate saleswoman in three counties – put down the orange juice she was most likely pouring for my dad, Abe Hathaway. I'd always thought it was weird that my dad had taken on my mom's last name, but it's actually not that uncommon. My dad was a truck driver, but I sometimes felt like he and mom were keeping something from me about his job. He'd stay gone weeks at a time, which was normal for a truck driver. What wasn't normal was how he always came home with a ton of cash. I'd never asked them about it, though, because I honestly didn't want to know.

"Sweetheart, don't you think you should stay home today? Take it easy for a little while?" she asked, getting the milk out for me.

I had absolutely no idea what to think about that. "Mom, are you okay? What happened last night?"

She'd been pouring the milk into my cereal bowl, but stopped when I asked her that. She slowly put the milk down on the table and sat in the chair next to me. "Honey…" She seemed at a loss for words and put her hand on my leg. "Last night – "

"Janine!" my dad yelled from upstairs. "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

My mom looked upstairs for a moment, then back at me, then back at the stairs. She sighed. "I'll be right back, okay?"

I nodded and she left. What was up with her today? I decided I would play detective. I slowly crept up the stairs, hoping they wouldn't squeak too much. I'd just started to hear what they were saying when I came across one of my mortal enemies: the top stair. That stair had gotten me in trouble so many times, it was hard to count. Every time I tried to sneak into my room, it would give me away. It didn't help that my dad was the lightest sleeper in the world.

"I think we should take her to a…specialist." My mom was saying.

"I don't know. I think it's a good idea, but how do we get her to go without telling her why she's going?"

"Maybe we could get her to see the school's counselor." Mom suggested.

"The school has a counselor? Since when?" Dad replied.

"Well, he was actually supposed to start next week, but the school sent me an email saying that he's going to start working earlier because of…well, what happened."

What the hell? I started to think that maybe I shouldn't have eavesdropped on my parents. I was even more confused now than I'd been all morning.

"I guess that's as good a plan as any. She's going to remember what happened as soon as she gets to school, anyway." Dad said.

There was a pause. "I just hope that it's not too hard for her today."

My dad sighed. "Of course it's going to be hard for her. What happened… It's very traumatizing, especially for someone at her age."

"Well, I know that, Ibrahim. I meant that I hope the kids she goes to school with aren't gossiping too much about it. You know kids are."

I'd gotten so engrossed in their conversation that I hadn't even realized I'd taken a step. The top stair squeaked, but it might as well have been a scream in the silence that followed. I quickly and quietly went back downstairs and slipped into my seat.

"Rose?" Mom called from upstairs.

"Mmhmm?" I was trying my best to make it sound like I was eating.

"Don't worry about walking to school today. I'll drop you off."

[BREAK]

"I can't believe you came to school today. Are you okay?" Lissa asked, hugging me.

I was surprised, but I didn't pull away from her. For some reason, it felt nice to be hugged. More than nice, actually. It felt…comforting. "I'm a little achy, like I worked out too much, but other than that, I'm fine. How about you?"

Her eyes suddenly grew wide. "Rose – "

"Lissa!"

My mom called Lissa over to our car. I started to walk over there with Liss, but my mom gave me a glare that said, "Stay where you are or so help me, God." So I stayed put. They didn't talk long, but something about them talking in private made my stomach do somersaults, and not in a good way.

When Lissa came back, she wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "We have to go to the office. Don't worry, we aren't in trouble."

We didn't stay in the office long. As we walked in, Mrs. Stepp – the school secretary – nodded at us. I had no idea what that meant, but Lissa apparently did because she led me to a hallway in the back of the office. I'd been back here plenty of times before, mostly when I was in trouble. There were three rooms to the right of the hallway, which I thought were used for keeping student records. There was a door at the end of the hallway, the principal's office. I knew that room like the back of my hand.

On the left side of the hallway, there was an open room – a waiting room. There were couches built into the walls so that people could wait comfortably until it was their turn to be seen. Once you went into the room, you could see another door on the left. That used to be the nurse's office, but they'd moved it last year.

"Let's sit and wait." Lissa said.

I glanced around. The sign above the door said, "Counselor's Office". "What are we doing here, Liss?"

"Um…" She glanced down, trying to hide the fact that she was tearing up, but it wouldn't work on me. I knew her too well.

"Hey." I whispered in a soothing tone. "Whatever it is, it's all going to be okay. I promise."

To my surprise, this made her cry harder. "I-I'm sorry. I'll be…right back. He'll call you in in a minute."

She got up and ran off before I could say anything else. Having absolutely no idea why I was here, I glanced around, taking in my environment. They'd changed the waiting room since I'd last been here. Instead of hard, leather couches, they now had soft, fluffy couches that I could easily fall asleep on. I instantly began coming up with ideas on how to sneak over here when I was tired.

I thought I was next in line, but Mrs. Stoner – the sophomore geometry teacher – brought a girl into the waiting room who was bawling like a baby. I thought her name was Sophia, but I didn't know for sure if it was or not. "Sorry, Rose. You don't mind if Sophie goes ahead of you, do you?"

Close, but no cigar. "I don't mind."

Mrs. Stoner gave me a kind smile, which was odd. She always seemed so…indifferent to me. She knocked on the counselor's door and waited a moment. I guess she heard something that I didn't because she opened the door and brought Sophie into the room.

"I'm so sorry, Rose." Mrs. Stoner said before slipping out into the hallway.

Sorry for what? That I was having to spend so much time waiting in a waiting room for some reason that I didn't know? Hey, if it was getting me out of class, I really didn't mind.

I looked around the waiting room again, taking in the flower posters on the wall. I thought they put those posters up to help soothe people, but they never made me feel comfortable. They actually did the opposite. I knew that when I was faced with really colorful flower posters, I was in for something bad. A feeling of being hollow enveloped me for a moment. A memory suddenly came to me.

_How could you do something like this, Eddie?_

I shook my head. Where had that come from?

I didn't have time to process it because Mrs. Stepp came into the waiting room with what looked like a name plaque in her hand. She slid it into a slot beside the counselor's door that I hadn't even noticed. She gave me a small smile before leaving again.

I read the plaque. _Dimitri Belikov. _Whoa, he definitely wasn't from around here. I had to admit, though, the name peaked my interest. I had no idea what country the name Belikov came from, so I found myself imagining all sorts of different looking men with different accents. _It's going to be too easy to mess with this guy… _I thought.

Suddenly, the door opened. Sophie stepped out, wiping her eyes with a bunch of tissues. "He said to send you in." she told me before bolting.

As I stood up, I realized that I was nervous. My heart had started beating faster and my palms were getting sweaty. I knew that there was a reason why I was here, and it wasn't a good one, either. Either something was wrong with me, something was wrong in my life, or both. I took a deep breath and entered the room.

"Please shut the door." he told me. He was sitting in a really tall chair, facing the opposite direction than me, which meant he was facing a wall. I did as he asked and waited for further instruction. When he didn't give any, I scanned the room. There were three places for me to sit. A straight-backed wooden chair, what looked like a mini recliner, and a small sofa made out of the same material as the couches outside. I sat on the sofa, deciding to make myself comfortable.

But when Belikov turned around, I was anything but.

"Anthony?!"


	2. Before and After

**Wow, thanks for the awesome reviews :) I'm glad you guys liked the first chapter. I just want to clarify that everyone is human in my story, but you probably already figured that out. I've tweaked the characters a bit so that they seem more human, as you'll see when I mention Dimitri's height. Now let's see what happens next…**

Anthony shot straight up out of his chair. "Rose?! What are you doing here?"

I looked at him, incredulous. _Oh my God, _I thought. _I got a creeper. I should've known he was too good to be true. _"No, what are _you _doing here? Did you follow me?"

"Excuse me? Follow you? Why would I have followed you _here_?" he asked.

Shit. That's right, because I'd told him I was eighteen, I'd also told him that I was in my freshman year of college. _Quick, Rose, change the subject._ "Never mind that. Why does it say you're name is Dimitri out there?"

The corners of his mouth turned down into a small frown, but he quickly masked it. _I'm not the only one who's been lying… _He took a deep breath. "Why don't you sit down over here?" he said, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. It was the wooden one, but, at this point, I didn't care.

I took a moment to study him before sitting down. He was about six feet and two inches tall, which meant there was a lot of him to take in. His almost-shoulder-length brown hair was tied back at the nape of his neck. I'd never seen it this way before. I remembered running my fingers through it when we'd been making out, wondering how he'd gotten it to be so soft.

He was wearing black slacks and a button-down white shirt, but there was also a black coat on the back of his chair. Even though his shirt was long sleeved, I could still see some of his muscles through it. His muscles weren't bulky, just toned, which was one of the things that had attracted me to him in the first place.

Okay, so I had totally dumbed my summer experience with Anthony down for Lissa. Sure, we'd started the summer just getting together and occasionally making out, but I had developed feelings for him over the three months we spent on the Shore. I still had no idea how exactly he felt about me, making my heart race even faster as I sat down.

"Why don't we start with you telling me what it is you're doing here exactly?" he asked, giving me his full attention. I noticed he had a notebook and pen in front of him, like he was getting ready to take notes. But those were forgotten at the moment.

I shook my head. "I'd actually like to start with why it says your name is Dimitri out there."

He sighed. "My name _is _Dimitri. I told you my name was Anthony because…well, long story short, I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"How did you get your friends to all go along with it? They called you Anthony, too."

"Well, it's kind of a game we play. Each summer, we go on vacation. So we like to each give someone we've never met before a fake name. I picked you this summer."

I felt the overwhelming need to come around the desk and smack him, but I managed to control myself. "I…don't know what to say."

"I'm sorry." He started to put his hand over mine, but stopped himself. "If I'd known we were going to be spending so much time together, I wouldn't have picked you."

I glared at him. "Did it not occur to you that you could tell me your real name at _any other _time? Say, after the first week we spent together?"

He kept calm. "Again, I'm sorry. There's not much else I can say." He paused for a moment. "It's my turn to ask a question: why are you here?"

"Uh…" My heart started to race and I had butterflies in my stomach. I had to think of something, _anything_, to tell him, other than the truth. But no matter what I told him, as the school's counselor, he'd have access to my school records. All of my information was there, including my age. I had two choices: lie my ass off in the hopes that I could talk my mom into moving immediately, or tell the truth and hope that…Dimitri…didn't hate me.

I cast my eyes down. "I go to school here."

Because I was looking down, I couldn't see his reaction. But I was trying my best to picture it in my head, and it wasn't pretty. I waited for him to yell at me, tell me to leave, or do something equally horrible, but there was nothing but silence.

When I looked up, I realized that Dimitri would do none of those things. His face gave nothing away, but I knew he was upset. Over the summer, I'd realized that I could read how he was feeling pretty quickly, and that he could do the same with me. It was one of those things that made me think we should be more than make out buddies, that we had a connection. But clearly that wasn't going to happen, especially now.

He cleared his throat. "You're in your senior year?" I nodded. "And you're eighteen, right?"

_Oh, God… _I knew that everything we'd had over the summer was going to disappear with my next two words. "I'm seventeen."

[BREAK]

I was walking to my third period class – Government – when I ran into Lissa. She was crying again. I grabbed her arm. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Lissa's eyes went wide. "You mean, you still don't know? The counselor was supposed to tell you…"

My heart sank down into my stomach. "Yeah, uh, we didn't get to talk about whatever it was he was supposed to tell me." I considered telling her about Anthony actually being the counselor, and that his name wasn't Anthony at all, but figured that it wasn't a conversation that needed to happen in the school hallway. "He wanted to get to know me first." That technically wasn't a lie. "He sent me back to class and told me to come back after lunch."

It was true. As soon as I'd told him how old I was, he told me we were done and shooed me out. I made it to my second period class ten minutes before the bell rang, but no one was talking and there wasn't even a lesson, so I just went through my and Dimitri's conversation again and again. Right before the bell rang, an office aid brought me a note from Dimitri saying to come by his office again after lunch.

Lissa shook her head. "Look, I'm just going to tell you. Your parents wanted me to keep this from you until you talked to the counselor about it, but I can't hide it from you anymore. Last night, there was an accident…"

Lissa kept explaining, but I wasn't listening. As soon as she said there'd been an accident, it was like my mind snapped itself back together. The walls that had crumbled so effortlessly last night came back up and I remembered everything.

"Rose?" Lissa took me into her arms. "I'm so sorry for keeping it from you. But they said you'd forgotten for a reason and that telling you might hurt you in the long run."

I shook my head, tears finally falling as I did. "How could I forget something like that? How is that even _possible_? I forgot that one of my…" _I forgot that one of my best friends died. _I couldn't talk anymore. I was crushed.

Lissa just held me and kept everyone else walking in the hallway away from us. "Look, why don't we call your parents to come get you?"

"No." I stood up, wiping tears out of my eyes. "I can't leave without seeing… Eddie! Where is he? Is he okay?"

"He stayed home today. I don't think he's coming tomorrow, either. Mia, Christian, and I were going to go by his house after school. Do you want to come?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, I think –"

I was cut off by a teacher I'd never met before. She must have been new. "Excuse me, girls. If you need to talk, the counselor is available. If not, I'm afraid you really must get to class." The teacher was pretty. She had fair skin and bright blue eyes. Her hair was honey colored and came down just past her shoulders.

"No, I'm okay." I said, wiping my eyes once more. The last thing I needed was to see Dimitri again. "We'll go to class."

"Are you sure?" the teacher asked, concerned.

I nodded and Lissa agreed, "We'll both be okay. Thanks, anyway, Ms. Amos."

"Alright then. Remember, the counselor is in his office if you need to talk." She turned around, so we started to walk, too. Until we heard her say, "And girls?"

"Yes?" Lissa and I said in unison.

"I'm very sorry for your loss."

[BREAK]

My third class period went by uneventfully. I tuned my teacher's lesson out, thinking back on last night. It amazed me how easily my mind erased things from my memory. I still couldn't remember everything, but I had bits and pieces.

I remembered that Mason had been shot in a hunting accident when he was out with Eddie. I remembered Mason's parents being upset and then just knowing that Mason was…dead. I knew there were some things that had slipped through the cracks, but I didn't want to think too hard on it. I feared that I would remember something that would just be too much and break down.

None of us said much at lunch. I sat down on the other side of the table than usual so I could comfort Mia while Christian comforted Lissa. I picked at the nachos we were having for lunch, mostly just moving them around my plate. Every now and then someone would come up to our table and tell us how sorry they were.

"So we'll meet up at the front of the school after the last bell?" Christian asked me, Lissa, and Mia.

Lissa nodded before turning to Mia. "Rose and I have last period together. You're in Mr. Martinez's class, right?" Mia nodded. "Then just wait for us outside his classroom. We have to go by it to get to the school's entrance anyway."

"Christian, what class do you have?" I asked.

"Rose?"

I turned around and saw Dimitri standing right outside the secretary's office. He was looking at me expectantly. "Shit, that's right." I mumbled to myself before turning to my friends. "I have to go see…Mr. Belikov. I'll see you guys later."

Dimitri said nothing as we walked to his office. As we walked through his waiting room, I noticed that there wasn't anyone there. That struck me as odd since there'd been a death at the school.

I voiced my thoughts as we sat down in his office. "I've seen most of the students who needed to talk already. Mason had a lot of people who cared about him." he answered.

I looked down. "Yeah. He did." I don't think I realized just how much I cared about Mason until then. The thought that I would never see him again twisted my heart and made it ache. A memory suddenly flashed through my mind.

_"It's so unfair!" I'd yelled. I was in my room with Lissa, Mason, and Mia. Christian was at his house, getting ready, and Eddie was going to meet us at the school after his dentist appointment. "You set off one little smoke bomb in the girls bathroom and they hold it over you for life."_

_ Lissa laughed. "I don't think I'd call a smoke bomb that filled the whole hallway 'little'."_

_ I glared at her. "You're missing the point. That smoke bomb is costing me my sophomore prom!"_

_ My parents and the school decided that the most proper punishment for me was forbidding me to go to our prom. From what I'd heard, most schools only had a senior prom, but our school had a prom for each grade._

_ "Rose," began Mia, "it's not going to be a lot of fun. We're just going to be drinking punch that's way too sweet and dancing to way too many slow songs."_

_ "Yeah, you wouldn't have any fun without a date." Lissa laughed. Just then her phone went off. She stepped out in the hall to answer it._

_ I sighed and flopped onto my bed. "It'd be fun if I went with you guys."_

_ Mason laughed and touched my arm. "Rose, I think you setting off that smoke bomb was more fun than the dance will be."_

_ I looked up at him and smiled. That was one of the things I loved about Mason; he had a wild streak. He was usually a little shy and reserved, but if I told him I was cutting class or sticking a frog in someone's locker, he was front and center. "Thank you for acknowledging my awesomeness."_

_ He blushed a little, his smile growing wider as he did, showing off a dimple in his chin. "Hard not to." He shrugged._

_ "Uh…" I looked over at Mia, who was looking back and forth between me and Mason. "I'm gonna go see if Lissa's ready yet." She got up and left without giving us another glance._

_ I sighed again. "It's still not fair…"_

_ "If you want, I can stay here. We can hang out tonight." Mason suggested, shrugging._

_ "You'd miss the dance to sit around with me and watch TV?" I asked, skeptically. _

_ He shrugged again. "It'd probably be more fun than going to the dance. We could rent a couple movies and play some video games. If you want, that is."_

_ I hopped up off my bed and threw my arms around him. "Thanks, Mason. You're the best!"_

"Rose? Are you okay?"

Dimitri's voice brought me back to the present. I felt the prickling sensation in my eyes that told me I was going to cry. I could still feel how warm Mason had felt when I hugged him. I took a deep breath and looked up at Dimitri…and the way he was looking at me made yet another memory surface.

_"Damn." I muttered, looking at my knee. I'd been walking down the path from the backdoor of our rented beach house to the beach. The path was made out of stones, one of which I tripped on at the bottom of the path. I'd fallen and cut open my knee._

_ I sat down in the sand, brushing the dirt and rubble carefully off my knee._

_ "Rose? Are you okay?" I looked up and into Anthony's eyes. I wanted to say that I was fine, but the words were stuck in my throat. I could tell he was genuinely concerned for me._

Just like he was now. "Yeah, I…" I scanned Dimitri's face, looking for a sign that told me how he felt about me, but got none. No, that wasn't exactly true. I'd been looking for a sign that he hated me. In my mind, there was no way that he could ever feel the same way about me again. But the way he was looking at me said something completely different.

"No." I finally admitted. "I'm not okay. I just lost one of…one of my best friends."

"I'm sorry, Rose. From what I understand, Mason was a pretty great young man."

I nodded. "Yeah, he was. One of the greatest."

Dimitri grabbed his notebook and pen. "Could you tell me what happened last night, from your perspective?"

Oh. I'd been completely oblivious to what was actually going on here. Dimitri wasn't concerned for me because he still liked me; he was concerned because it was his _job _to be concerned. Yeah, that hurt a little.

So I launched into the events of last night, stumbling every now and then. Dimitri was actually a pretty good counselor. He helped me remember some details that I'd forgotten and given me advice on how to continue to regain the memories I'd lost. For a while, he just let me talk. If it had been anyone else in front of me, I wouldn't have been so open. But things just felt…comfortable with Dimitri. I knew him – well, for the most part, I did.

At last, Dimitri put his notebook down and said, "All right. I think that's enough for today."

I nodded. "Thanks for the talk. It helped."

He gave me a small smile. "That's my job, Rose. But you're welcome."

I smiled back at him, but quickly stopped when I remembered what had happened that morning. "Hey, um, about us…"

"There is no 'us'." he said, quickly. And then, "I mean, other than me being your counselor and you being my client."

I nodded. "Of course. Right." But it didn't feel right. _I _didn't feel right. Between Mason's death and finding out that the guy I liked wasn't who I thought he was, I was a complete mess. But it wasn't like I could talk to Dimitri about himself. I went to stand up, but Dimitri stopped me.

"I'd like to see you the next couple of days." he said, making my heart do a leap in my chest. "I'll put you down for tomorrow at the start of sixth period, that way you won't miss the same classes every day. Is that alright?"

I gave myself a mental slap in the face. It was no mystery that he'd been talking about seeing me in the client/counselor way, not romantically. "Sounds fine."

But it didn't.

[BREAK]

Eddie looked horrible.

We'd all gone to his house as planned after school. His parents hadn't wanted to let us in at first, but they gave in when we told them we just wanted to make sure he was okay. They'd only given us ten minutes to see him, but that was more than enough.

Because Eddie wasn't doing anything. He lay in bed, staring at nothing the whole time we were there. He didn't say a word to any of us or even look at us. As my friends tried to get Eddie to snap out of it, I went to the living room to talk with his parents, Amy and Bob Castile.

"Has he been like this the whole time?" I asked.

Amy looked at Bob, who nodded and took the tray of snacks she'd had in her hands. Every time we'd gone over to Eddie's house, his mom made us snacks as soon as we walked in the door. She was one of the sweetest women I'd ever met and I felt bad for her. It was obvious that she was in misery. She was a great mother to Eddie, so it was no wonder that she was worried to death over him.

"Ever since he got home from the hospital last night. He won't even eat anything." Amy answered me.

I frowned. "Don't worry. Eddie's strong. He'll be back to his old self soon. I think we just need to let him…grieve. And process what's happened."

Bob returned to the room from taking my friends the snacks Amy had handed to him earlier. "I think it'll be easier for him after Mason's funeral."

I felt a stab of pain in my chest. I'd never imagined that I would be going to a close friend's funeral so soon in my life. It wasn't like I was looking forward to going to my friends' funerals when I was older, but it was a reality that I had thought about before.

"Do you know when his funeral is going to be?" I asked.

"They're having a viewing in the auditorium after school on Friday and the actual funeral will be at Tucker's Funeral Home Saturday morning. I'm surprised Rebecka and David got things together so fast after…" Amy didn't have to finish. We all knew what she meant.

Bob wrapped his arm around his wife. "I don't know if it's true or not – you know how gossip is in this town – but I heard that Patty and Sid are in town and that they're the ones who planned the funeral."

My confusion must have been obvious because Amy looked at me and said, "Mason's grandparents." She turned back to her husband. "I hope they don't stay too long, if it's true. Those two…"

"I know." This time, Bob clarified for me. "Patty and Sid have a pretty bad reputation. I heard about Rebecka's outburst at the hospital…" Bob's jaw tightened. He was mad and I didn't blame him. Rebecka's "outburst" had been directed at Eddie. "Let's just say that Patty and Sid were the one's she got her attitude from. They all shoot first and ask questions later."

I grimaced at his use of "shoot", but neither of Eddie's parents noticed. "I'm going to check on Eddie and then we'll let him…rest."

They nodded and let me go. Eddie was in the exact same position, staring at the exact same spot on the wall. "Anything?" I asked my friends, but it was more directed at Lissa.

"Nope. He hasn't moved a muscle." Christian told me.

"You know, he probably doesn't appreciate us talking about him like he isn't here." Mia interjected.

Christian shook his head. "Well, it's not like he's protesting."

With that, Mia and Christian got into a debate on what type of conversations are appropriate to use around Eddie and what aren't. But I wasn't listening. I was too focused on Lissa.

She was holding Eddie's hand and had a hard look of concentration on her face. I sat down next to her and that was when I noticed she was sweating. I put my hand on her shoulder and, without saying a word, she let go of his hand and sighed.

"I think it's time we went on our way." I told everyone and they all agreed.

We walked back to the school, which was the midpoint between everyone's houses.

"I'm going to head home. I don't really feel like hanging out tonight." Mia told us, her sadness written all over her face.

I nodded and stepped forward to give her a hug. It lasted a little longer than our usual ones. "Call us if you need anything, alright?"

She agreed, giving Lissa and Christian hugs before going on her way.

"You wanna go to my house?" Christian asked Lissa.

She glanced at me and we made eye contact for a moment, but that was all it took. We'd joked about how we were so close, we might as well be sisters, and right then it felt more true than ever. "Actually, I'm going over to Rose's house for dinner. I'll come by after, though, if it's okay with Tasha."

Tasha was Christian's aunt. She'd been taking care of him ever since his parents died in a car crash when he was little. We all liked Tasha, but even Christian would admit that she was a little promiscuous.

Christian shrugged. "I doubt she'll have a problem with it. She has a date tonight."

Lissa smiled and rolled her eyes. "I guess that means she won't be home until late, huh?"

Christian reached forward and wrapped an arm around Lissa's waist, pulling her close. "Yep. And she'll be a little preoccupied anyway." His voice now had a husky edge to it.

Lissa lifted her face up to his and they kissed. Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with the two of them kissing, but when they're _this _close to tying their tongues together, I don't want to see it.

I grabbed Lissa and pulled her away from Christian. "Lissa, he's trying to take your soul! Don't look into his eyes! Turn around and run. Run!"

Lissa giggled and jogged toward the road, pretending to be afraid. "Ha ha, Rose. Very funny. I'm sure if Mason – "

The fun mood was immediately replaced with a dark one. I was pretty sure Christian was going to say something along the lines of, "If Mason were here, he'd put you in your place". He'd always teased me about Mason liking me, and I figured it had just slipped his mind that Mason…was no longer with us.

"I'm so sorry. I-I forgot." Christian quickly apologized.

I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I wish I could forget sometimes."

Lissa made it back to us then. "I'll call you when dinner's over at Rose's. I love you."

"I love you, too." he replied to her. And then to me he said, "Sorry, again. I'll see you later, Rose."

[BREAK]

Lissa didn't call Christian right after dinner like she'd said she would. Instead, we went upstairs to my room to talk. That was the whole point of her coming over in the first place. She sat on my bed automatically, she was so used to coming over.

"So…?" I said, closing my door behind me. "What did you find out?"

In eighth grade, Lissa had started to act weird. There were times when she would freak out at school for apparently no reason, running to the bathroom without getting permission first. She'd stare into space, sometimes when she was in the middle of a sentence, and start mumbling incoherent nonsense. When I asked her about it, she said she was fine and that she'd spoken with her parents about it, who were going to take her to the doctor. But she'd been lying to me.

It wasn't until I went over to her house one day when her parents weren't home that she finally told me what was really going on. I'd gone up to her room to find her face down on the ground. I freaked and ran off to find her brother so he could do something. He was a couple years older than us, so I figured he would know what to do in that situation.

We were in the process of trying to get her up on the bed when she woke up. She started going on and on about darkness and thoughts. After about five minutes, she started insisting that she was fine and Andre believed her. I didn't. I grilled her for an hour, telling her that whatever it was she was hiding would probably be easier to handle if she had someone to talk to. She made me promise over and over that I wouldn't say a word to anyone, especially her parents, if she told me what was going on.

Once I'd promised at least fifty times, she told me that she thought she was psychic. She told me that when she first started noticing something weird was going on, she thought she was sick because she kept getting really hot and then really cold. But then she started to feel these weird, tingling sensations all throughout her body, so she knew it wasn't sickness.

She told me that she'd been having dreams that were coming true, but she never knew when they would happen or if they were important or not. One time she dreamt about Maxine Brown's death – she died of natural causes, being 102 years old, the oldest person in our town – two weeks before it happened. Another time she dreamt of me giving a popsicle to a five-year-old girl – I was going to eat it, but she was so sweet when she asked if she could have it that I couldn't resist – the night before it happened.

She started writing all her dreams down, going back and marking the ones that came true with a star on the top of the page. She showed them to me that night. I remembered some of them, but weren't there for most. I'd thought that was all she was going to tell me, but I was sadly mistaken.

It turned out that Lissa could…feel things. It would happen to her spontaneously, taking a lot of energy out of her when it did. She could feel how people around her felt, but most of the time it only happened when it was a really strong emotion. When I found her on the ground, it was because she'd been feeling the grief of her neighbors next door. The grandma of the family had just died, so Lissa was taking in the grief of four different people constantly. It'd drained her.

For a while, things stayed like that. Liss and I tried to figure out what exactly was going on, but we never got anywhere. I tried to get her to go to her parents about it, but she refused. Finally, she agreed to tell Andre. She told me that if Andre believed her, then she would tell her parents. It turned out that she'd made the right decision to tell Andre first because that was when we found out people would think she was crazy if they found out the truth. It had taken some serious fast talking to get Andre to keep the news from their parents.

We kept her abilities a secret from the rest of our friends, thinking they'd also think she was crazy if they found out. It was getting harder and harder to keep it from them because Lissa was always being bombarded with other people's emotions.

Then we did some experimenting. I had Lissa try her hardest to feel my emotions, even though I wasn't feeling a strong emotion. We'd been trying for an hour when an idea finally occurred to me. Without saying a word, I grabbed Lissa's hand while she was trying to feel my emotions. Her eyes snapped open when I did. She'd felt my emotions.

Since then, we knew that she had to touch someone if she really wanted to know what they were feeling. She'd also learned how to shut other emotions out. But the biggest thing we learned was that if she was running low on energy from reading people, she could take some of mine. Well, she could take some of anyone's, but she didn't feel right taking people's energy without permission. Weird, right?

"It was weird…" Lissa answered. "I could feel his emotions, but it was also like…"

I sighed. When it came to her…well, powers, I guess, she had a hard time finding the words to explain to me what happened. "Like…?"

She looked up at me. "Like I could see into his mind. It wasn't clear, but that's what I felt like I was doing. Every now and then, a thought would pop into my mind, out of nowhere. They weren't clear, like the message was getting distorted when it passed from Eddie to me. I hadn't even known they were Eddie's thoughts, until I heard his voice."

"You heard him?" I asked, astonished.

She nodded. "Yeah. It was like he was speaking right to my mind. He's devastated, but that's no surprise. It's nothing…too serious. I think he just needs some time."

"That makes sense." I sat down on my bed next to her. "How are _you _feeling?"

"A little tired, but it's nothing sleep can't handle."

I held out my hands. When she shook her head, I told her, "I don't mind. Really. Besides, I'm going straight to bed when you leave and you're going to Christian's, so…" She still looked hesitant, so I added, "It's fine. Go ahead."

I could tell she didn't like it, but she grabbed my hands and focused. I felt a tingling start on the top of my head and make its way to my feet. I was suddenly hot and felt a sweat break out on my forehead. As soon as Lissa let go, I felt my body sag, exhausted.

"Thanks, Rose." Lissa told me. "Now get into bed. I'll see you tomorrow."

I smiled. Lissa looked much better than before. I couldn't believe that I hadn't even noticed the bags she'd had under her eyes. "Bye," I called as she left my room.

I changed into some pajamas, brushed my teeth, and climbed into bed. I was glad that my teachers had given me a break with homework because there was no way I'd be able to get it done if I had it. Turning on my side, I let my mind wander.

The first thing it came across was Dimitri. I was still shocked that he'd ended up here and that he'd lied to me about his name. I couldn't really say much, though, because I'd lied about something much more important. If anyone ever found out about our relationship over the summer…well, it wouldn't be good.

I was torn. Part of me was happy that Dimitri was here. I'd been upset toward the end of summer because I figured I'd never see him again, so the fact that he was in the same town as me had me floating on cloud nine. But another part of me was dreading tomorrow. Not only did he now know that I was a minor, but he was also now my guidance counselor. He'd also made it very clear that there was no "us".

I thought back to our last night together at the Shore.

_I was wrapped in "Anthony's" strong arms, watching the sunset. There was a melancholy feel to the evening, making me feel bitter sweet. I was happy to be in Anthony's arms, but deflated that tonight was the last time I'd get to see him._

_ "You have the most beautiful hair…" he'd whispered to me, taking a strand in his hand. "Especially at sunset, when you can see all the different colors in it."_

_ I smiled. "Really? What colors do you see?"_

_ "It's mostly brown, but there's some red and a few parts look a little blonde…"_

_ I turned around, still in his arms but now facing him. "You're lying. I am not, nor will I ever be, blonde. I don't think it'd look good on me."_

_ He ran a hand through my hair and shook his head. "I think anything would look good on you."_

_ I blushed, but tried to hide it by saying, "What if I wore a trash bag? You think I'd have the whole hot-hobo look going on?"_

_ "Touché." He laughed, but it was short-lived. His face fell and he sighed. "I wish this wasn't our last night together."_

_ "Hey, don't go getting all serious on me tonight. This is our last time to have some fun."_

_ "You're right." He looked around. "Come on. I have an idea."_

_ We got up and ran to the beach house he and his friends had been renting. "You're idea is to go back in the house?" I asked, as he opened the door._

_ He laughed. "No, my idea is to have the whole house to ourselves while my roommates are still on the beach."_

_ "You know that won't last long."_

_ "That's why we have to take advantage of the situation before it passes us by."_

_ With that, he led me into his room. I started to walk to his bed as he closed the door, but he grabbed my hand and pulled me back…right into his arms. His lips found mine as his hands went to my hips. I wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to pull him closer to me even though that wasn't possible. There was no space between us now._

_ He turned, pushing me up against the wall. He took my hands from around his neck and pinned them to the wall as well. His mouth moved to my neck, where he left a trail of kisses up to my ear. "Wanna move to the bed?" he breathed. I nodded._

_ He picked me up and, in seconds, we were on the bed. He was on top of me, but that wasn't the way I wanted it, so I rolled over. With me on top, it was my turn to pin him down. I grabbed his wrists and brought them up above his head. "Don't. Move." I whispered. He let out a low moan in response._

_ I sat back up and took off my shirt. A rush went through me when I looked down and saw the expression on his face. Total awe. I took his hands and put them on my sides. "You're allowed to roam." I assured him when I saw he was surprised I'd put his hands there._

_ He moved his fingers across my skin and a shiver went through my body. "Oh, Roza…" he whispered._

_ Looking at him right then, seeing the ravenous expression on his face, hearing the way he said my name…it all made me want him. I'd made up my mind. I didn't care that I probably wouldn't ever see him again, it didn't matter. All that mattered was that I wanted him and he wanted me. Oh, and he wanted me._

_ I reached for him, making him sit up. As I went for the bottom of his shirt, he reached down and took it off swiftly, already knowing what I wanted. I ran my fingers along his chest, loving the feel of his skin._

_ Without any warning, he rolled over so that he was on top of me again. If I hadn't already known he wanted me, I would have then by the bulge I felt between his legs. I rolled my hips, making him moan as our most sensitive spots came together. He bent down and began kissing me again._

_ "Hey, uh, Anthony!"_

_ "Anthony" sat up and groaned as someone proceeded to bang on his door. "What?!"_

_ "Sun just went down. We're about to set off the fireworks. Come on."_

_ I looked at him and he looked at me. His eyes roamed all over my body. A few more moments passed as he decided what he wanted to do – and I suspected he wanted to stay inside with me, if you get my drift – when someone knocked again._

_ "Coming!" he yelled before sighing. "They aren't going to stop until I get out there." he told me._

_ I nodded, feeling rejected, even though I knew that wasn't the case. "Okay." I said, trying not to let my voice waver. I'd just grabbed my shirt when he brought me back down to the bed._

_ "It's not…that…I don't…want to." he said, in between the kisses he was leaving on my neck and chest._

_ I nodded. "I know, it's just – "_

_ "I get it." He got up and pulled his shirt back on. "I feel the same way right now."_

_ Once we were both dressed, we headed outside. Before we got to the group, though, he pulled me to him. "Maybe we can sneak away later…"_

Little did he know that that would never happen.

I turned into my pillow, squeezing my eyes shut. I wished that memory would just go away, like the memories of –

I opened my eyes. I couldn't believe it. How had I forgotten Mason? How could I lay here, thinking of Dimitri and how I wished things weren't so complicated when Mason was dead? Especially when Mason himself had had a crush on me that I couldn't return?

This time I didn't squeeze my eyes shut. I let the tears come. I sat there crying, thinking the same thing over and over again – _I'm the worst friend in the world, why did this have to happen, why couldn't it be me instead _– until I fell asleep.

**Any suggestions or questions? Are you liking the story so far? Should I continue?**

**Let me know in a review. Feel free to PM me as well. And, of course, thank you so much for reading :)**


	3. Breaking Point

**Thank you so much for the new reviews! You guys are awesome :) I know it's been kind of slow paced so far, but it's going to get better, I promise. Thanks for being patient with me.**

The next two days dragged along. We all saw Dimitri at least once a day, still in the process of grieving. I can't say what the other talked to him about, but we mostly talked about Mason and my life. He never asked me any really personal questions, but he did ask how I was feeling quite a bit and how life at home was going.

Every session for me was horrible. Not only was I pouring my heart out about Mason, but I was also tortured with the fact that I couldn't have Dimitri, even though he was right there in front of me. We never talked about us, but I'd wanted to, and I was pretty sure he could tell. I'd seen him twice Thursday and he'd gotten up during one of the sessions to get my file from his filing cabinet, which was behind me. He'd had me keep talking about Mason. With him behind me, it was easier for me to pour out everything I was feeling, and I soon started to cry. I didn't know he'd pulled a chair up in front of me and sat down until I felt his hand on my shoulder.

I looked up and my breath caught. We were so, _so _close. I'd looked into his eyes, wondering what he was feeling, whether or not he was aware of how intimate it all felt to me. But the expression on his face gave nothing away.

I cleared my throat and sat back out of his grasp, feeling embarrassed not only because of the feelings that his touch had stirred up in me, but also because he'd seen me break down over a story about Mason and a fruit cup.

Mia, Christian, and Lissa never talked to me about their sessions with Dimitri, but I assumed that they were talking about the same things I'd talked about during our sessions.

Another thing we all did was visit Eddie every day after school. He was doing better, but not by much. He was talking again, but he couldn't have a real conversation. His grief was eating him up, causing him to only talk about Mason and the accident. He apologized to us constantly, even though we'd told him he didn't need to.

Thursday evening, while we were at Eddie's, he grabbed my arm and pulled me down toward him. When he was satisfied that I was close enough to him, he whispered, "Rose, will you come by yourself tomorrow?"

I assured him that I would, not even bothering to ask why. At that point, I'd do anything Eddie asked of me in the hopes that he'd get back to his old self.

While all of this was going on, my grief and heartache grew. I'd figured that I would start to feel better as time went on, not worse. I even thought about skipping school on Friday, but decided against it when I thought about how odd it would look for me to miss school but still show up to the viewing. So I went to school, feeling horrible. I saw Dimitri, but we didn't talk much. I'd cried so much that I didn't think I had any tears left and I knew that talking about Mason would just depress me even further.

My friends were there for me, but didn't push me to talk about anything. They understood from watching Eddie that everyone handles death in their own way. I went from class to class, actually grateful for the lessons. I was happy to have something to take my mind off of everything, even math. Nothing was okay, but I was content to go through the motions and allow everyone else to do their own thing.

Until right before last period.

I'd been walking with Lissa, letting her talk about her plans to raise money so we could buy a plaque to put in the school's trophy case for Mason. She wasn't exactly excited about it, but I could tell that she was happy to be doing something special for him and I didn't want to bust her bubble.

When we reached one of the water fountains, I stopped to take a drink, and that's when I heard her.

"I can't believe they're having the viewing for Mason _here_. I mean, there's going to be a _dead body _in the auditorium! Talk about gross. And why have a viewing for someone who killed their self anyway? I don't get how people really believe he was in a 'hunting accident'."

I hadn't seen the speaker, but I knew it was a girl. I quickly turned to Lissa and said, "Did you hear her?!"

Lissa shook her head, eyes going wide at how hard my voice was, but I was too busy listening to what the girl was saying to explain anything to her. I turned toward the lockers on the other side of the hall, looking for the girl who'd said such outrageous things.

"Oh my God!" It was Camille Conta, captain of the cheerleading team. We'd had run-ins before, but she'd always backed down when I confronted her. She closed her locker and gestured to the two girls next to her. "I figured it out. It wasn't an accident _or _suicide. Eddie did it on purpose, that's why he hasn't shown his face since it happened."

I went up to her, resisting the urge to automatically punch her in the face. "You have no idea what the fuck you're talking about!"

She turned to me, surprised, but got herself together quickly. With her hands on her hips, she said, "Oh, I get it. It would be you who's behind this, not Eddie. Everyone knows you have problems with impulse control. Get tired of Mason following you around like a puppy dog?"

She obviously had _no _idea about my problems with impulse control or she wouldn't have said that to me. I grabbed the front of her shirt, pulling her towards me as I swung my right fist at her. It connected with the side of her face. It hurt a little, but it felt _oh_, _so good _at the same time. "That was for Mason!"

I pulled my hand back and hit her again. "That was for Eddie!" I grabbed more of her shirt with my right hand and pushed her down. I got on top of her, lowering my lips to her ear. "I want you to promise me that you won't ever, _ever _talk about Mason and Eddie like that again. _Promise_!"

She nodded. "I-I promise! I swear!"

I was going to let go of her, get up, and pretend like nothing had happened when I was blind sighted by a punch to the left side of my face. When I realized it had been Camille that hit me, I saw red flash before my eyes. "You little _bitch_."

I hit her again, my blow landing on the same spot it had earlier. She was definitely going to have a bruise there. By then, the people around us had started to freak out, and they all did it in different ways. Some people ran off, probably going to get teachers, while others formed a circle around us, cheering us on.

I thought that last hit would stop Camille, but she was tougher than she looked. She grabbed a handful of my hair and twisted, causing me to yell out in pain. Adrenaline spiked through my veins and I was able to ignore the pain, sitting up and punching her with my left hand this time.

I stunned her that time, making her let go of my hair. I knew I should stop – I was going to give her a concussion at the very least if I didn't – but it just felt so good to release all the emotions that had been pent up inside. I wasn't thinking of anything else but hitting her again when someone grabbed me and pulled me back. I struggled against them, wanting to rip Camille's head off her body.

As they pulled me down the hallway, I yelled, "Think about that the next time _any _of my friends' names comes out of your mouth!"

With that, I finally stopped struggling against whoever it was that was trying to cart me away. We almost fell over because they'd been pulling me and hadn't expected me to give in. When I got myself righted, I saw that it was Dimitri who pulled me off of Camille. He took hold of my upper arm and dragged me to the office, a scowl on his face.

I sighed in frustration. "Yay. My first trip to Fink's office this year."

"Honestly, Rose, what were you _thinking_?" Dimitri asked, shaking his head. "I thought you'd have better sense than to attack another student!"

That hurt. It wouldn't have, coming from the principal or a teacher, but I thought more of Dimitri and wanted him to think the same of me. I hated that he was upset with me, but I wasn't about to tell him that. "She was the one doing the attacking. You should have heard what she was saying!"

By that time, we'd made it to the office. Mrs. Stepp had apparently already heard what happened down the hall because she, too, gave me a scowl when Dimitri brought me through her office. He sat me down in one of the chairs outside Principal Fink's office and shook his head. "I know you're better than this. I'm _so _disappointed in you."

My heart dropped into my stomach when he said that and the rest of my anger dissipated. I looked at the ground as Dimitri knocked on Fink's door before entering. I sat there, mentally kicking myself for being so stupid and catching fragments of what Dimitri and Fink were talking about through the door.

"I know she needs to be punished, but…" That was Dimitri, but he was talking so fast that I couldn't hear everything he was saying.

"That may be, but I can't allow students to attack each other without…" That was Fink. I wasn't surprised that he already knew about what happened. News travelled fast around the school. That was one of the reasons I'd been so mad at Camille. Even just joking about Mason…killing himself or his death not being an accident could turn into a serious rumor. I wasn't going to sit by and do nothing while Camille slandered Eddie and Mason. Mason should be respected in death and Eddie didn't need anything else on top of his already-all-consuming grief.

"Just let me talk to her. She's dealing with a lot right now. I'll come straight back here after we talk and let you know what I think would be best."

Fink seemed to think about that for a minute. Or, at least, I thought he did, because I didn't hear anything from the other side of the door. "Alright. I guess that's what the situation calls for this time. Go talk to her, but come right back here afterward. I mean it."

Dimitri mumbled his thanks before coming out and telling me to follow him. When we got to his waiting room, we found Lissa sitting on one of the couches. She immediately stood up when she saw us.

"Liss, I'm sorry. I just – "

She put her hand up, cutting me off. "You don't have to apologize. I heard what she was saying. I'm glad you did what you did."

"You are?" I was surprised. Lissa hated seeing people get hurt, even if she didn't like them. I realized then that Mason's death must have been affecting her more than I thought it did.

Lissa nodded, but before she could speak, Dimitri interrupted. "Please don't encourage her. If you don't mind, Lissa, we're going to have to reschedule your appointment."

"Oh, don't bother. I wouldn't want to impose. I'll just head back to class, then…" I said quickly, turning around and walking toward the office.

Dimitri's hand clamped around my arm again. "I don't think so." He didn't pull me back, but he definitely wasn't going to let go of me either. I decided against fighting – I figured he was actually doing me a favor by keeping me there – and went back to his side.

"That's okay." Lissa told Dimitri. "I understand. How can I get into contact with you to make an appointment?"

"Just talk to Mrs. Stepp."

She nodded. "Okay, thanks." She turned to me, but I couldn't help but notice when she quickly glanced between Dimitri and I. "See you, Rose."

"Bye." I waved. Once she was gone, Dimitri led me into his office and sat me down in the hard, wooden chair. "So…" I began, watching him go around his desk and sit down. "I don't suppose you'd just tell Fink we talked and let me out of here?"

He gave me a look that said there was no way that was going to happen, but decided to voice his thoughts as well. "You know I can't do that. Tell me what happened."

I shrugged. "I punched Camille in the face. Multiple times."

Dimitri sighed. "Can't you take this seriously? Principal Fink is thinking of expelling you. I got him to reconsider, but he'll only do that if I can talk to you and help you. You need to tell me what happened."

"He was going to expel me?" I asked, shocked. It was well known that the school hadn't expelled anyone for thirty years and part of the reason I'd been able to fearlessly pull so many pranks throughout my high school years.

"Yes, he was." Dimitri answered, picking up his notes and flipping to another page. I watched him as he went through what he'd written down, wondering what he was looking for. "You know what?" he finally said. "Why don't you tell me what you're hiding before we get to the incident with Camille?"

I stared at him, confused. "I haven't been hiding anything. Why would you think that?" When he didn't say anything, just kept sitting there and watching me, I shifted uncomfortably in me seat. "What? I'm serious, I haven't been hiding anything from you. I've told you everything."

Dimitri got up and walked around his desk, turning the chair next to me so that it faced me before sitting down. "I went over the notes I've kept on our sessions. Yes, from what I can tell, you've told me how you feel about Mason and his death. You've told me about life at home and with your friends. But you wouldn't have had this…outburst if you didn't have something plaguing you."

I stared at him, not believing what I was hearing. "My friend just _died_. Of course that's 'plaguing' me!"

He leaned forward, studying my face. "I know that this has been hard on you. Believe me, I understand. But you've opened up about Mason, told me what you're feeling, and…I just can't see how you'd have all that emotion built up when you've been letting it out in our sessions. Are you sure there's nothing else you want to talk about?"

I looked away from his face. "No."

"There's nothing else you're upset about?" His voice had gone soft and he laid his hand on my knee.

I swatted his hand away, suddenly angry. "Don't you do that to me. Don't pretend like you care about my feelings."

"I'm not pretending, Rose. I really do care about you."

My heart melted hearing him say that, but my mind wasn't really paying attention. All I could think about was how he'd avoided talking about us the whole week. We'd been so close this summer – he even saw me half naked! – and now it felt like we were nothing but counselor and client.

"Oh, really? So I guess ignoring what happened over the summer and totally avoiding the subject is now called 'caring'? Whatever. I'm out of here." I got up, going for the door. I should've known I wouldn't have been able to escape that easily.

Dimitri was between me and the door, so he'd been able to reach out and grab me before I'd taken two steps. He got up and turned me around. "If you leave now, you'll be expelled. Are you sure that's what you want?"

I shook my arm, trying to get him to let go, but it was no use. "I don't care. Let Fink expel me. I'd rather not have to see you every day, anyway."

"Rose, stop!" he yelled, giving me a little shake. I flinched. He'd never yelled at me before and I didn't like it. Not at all. "Are you crazy? The last thing you want to do is get yourself expelled."

"No, that last thing I want to do is stay in this room with you."

I saw the hurt flash through his eyes before he quickly masked it. "Okay, I get it now. Sit down." When I went to protest, he added, "Do you want to talk about us or not?"

Did I? More than anything. Would I? Well, that was a different matter altogether. I knew what would happen if we talked about it. He'd try to let me down gently, probably saying that we'd just had a summer fling that couldn't go on. I wondered if finally having him say he didn't want me would help me move on, but I highly doubted it. It would probably just hurt. A lot.

Even so, I sat down. In truth, he was right. I didn't want to get expelled. Not just because I wanted to graduate, but also because my parents would kill me. I also knew that we needed to have this conversation, whether it was messy or hurtful.

Dimitri took a deep breath, sitting down in his chair. "I'm sorry I didn't realize sooner that our…situation might be bothering you." I opened my mouth to tell him that it was alright, even though it wasn't, but he kept talking. "Just let me get this out before you say anything.

"Rose, you are…wonderful. This summer was…well, let me just say that it was the best summer of my life. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget about it. But that's what we need to try to do: forget about it. Not only are you a minor," he gave me a dirty look when he said that, "but you're also now my client. At school. Do you realize how dangerous and complicated things would be if we tried to make this work? We wouldn't be able to go out together; we'd have to hide from everyone.

"I do care about you, I really do. If there were any way to change things, I would in a heartbeat. But, unfortunately, we can't change anything that's happened. So we'll just have to do our best to move on."

When he'd said all those wonderful things – like how he thought I was wonderful and how the time we spent together was one of the best times of his life – my heart felt like it would leap out of my chest. I felt like if I wanted to, I could fly. But when he started talking about the complications that would come with us having a relationship, all the happiness drained out of my body. When he said we'd have to move on, my heart shattered and my eyes pricked with tears.

I looked down, causing a tear to fall down my cheek. I hastily wiped it away, trying to hide it from him even though I'd been crying in front of him all week. I tried to smile and failed. "Yeah, you're right."

"So you understand the severity of our situation?"

I nodded, trying my hardest to keep the tears from coming. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep it in much longer. "I'm sorry. I have to go."

I walked to the door and was just about to turn the doorknob when he murmured my name. I turned around, wondering what he could possibly want to say after all of that, but was surprised to find him right behind me. How had done that?

He reached up and caressed the side of my face with his hand. "I'm so sorry that things have to be this way."

I closed my eyes, trying to memorize the feel of his touch. "Yeah," I choked out as a few tears ran down my face. "Me, too."

With that, I stepped to the side, making him drop his hand. I turned around, opened the door, and left, without another glance in his direction.

[BREAK]

I'd left a voicemail on Eddie's mom's phone, telling her that I'd come by after the viewing. I was sitting next to Lissa, listening to the pastor they'd gotten to speak at Mason's viewing. Almost everyone had turned out to pay their respects. I even saw Jesse Zeklos, who'd had problems with Mason.

I was openly crying, not only because of my fresh wounds from my conversation with Dimitri, but also because of Mason's death. In fact, I was crying more because I missed Mason than anything. Lissa, who was also crying, took hold of my hand and squeezed. I'd never been more happy to have her than that moment.

I'd only been to one other viewing, my mother's friend's, and it had been different from Mason's viewing. Instead of going up to the casket to see Mason before the actually ceremony began, we went up at the end to see him one last time and pay our last respects. Everyone in the line stood back from the casket, giving enough room so that each person could talk to Mason privately.

I'd been fearing what would happen to me when I saw Mason's body, but I knew there was no way I wouldn't see him. I didn't want to have regrets about not saying goodbye. So, as I walked toward the casket when it was my turn, I took a deep breath and said a silent prayer, not knowing if anyone could hear me or not.

When I caught my first glimpse of Mason, I was surprised. I'd expected him to be pale, but this was just…horrible. He was completely lifeless. I couldn't see a trace of the Mason I knew. I instantly regretted coming up here to see him – no, to see his body. I didn't want this to be my last glimpse of him, but it was too late.

I didn't know where he'd been shot, but wherever it was, it was covered by clothes, so I couldn't see it. For that, I was grateful. Seeing Mason's lifeless body was one thing. Seeing it with a hole in it – or even a patched up hole – would be completely different.

Although I knew Mason wasn't here, I leaned down and planted a kiss on his forehead. "I love you, Mase." I said, my voice cracking. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you that enough before…before…" I couldn't finish.

"Goodbye, Mason. I hope I get to see you again someday." I whispered before turning around and leaving through the auditorium's side door. I opened my phone and sent a text to Lissa, telling her that I was going to Eddie's. I asked her not to come over and ask the others if they'd stay away as well so I could talk to Eddie by myself.

With that done, I made my way to the school's exit, but stopped when I heard Dimitri call my name. I almost kept walking, not wanting to deal with him anymore, but finally stopped and turned around.

To my surprise, Dimitri wasn't alone. He was toting Camille with him, who had a deep purple bruise on her left cheek and a black right eye. I didn't feel sorry for her; she deserved what she got. As they walked toward me, I noticed she had a limp. I didn't remember hurting her leg, but I might have when I knocked her down.

When they reached me, Dimitri said, "Camille has something she'd like to tell you." He turned to her. "Go on."

Camille looked down and mumbled something I couldn't make out.

"What was that?" I asked.

She looked me in the eye. "I'm sorry for what I said. About Mason and Eddie. It was horrible and wrong of me to say such things, especially because people might think I was telling the truth."

I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. I was glad that she was apologizing for what she said about my friends, but she still hadn't said anything about being sorry for slandering me. I guess she got the picture because she added, "And I'm sorry I said you were the one who planned on killing Mason."

"What?!" Dimitri asked, shock all over his face. "You said _what _about Rose?"

"You heard her. She said I planned on killing Mason. If I remember correctly, she said that if any of my group of friends had the nerve to do something like that, it was me, and that I'd done it because I was tired of Mason…what was it now, Camille? 'Following me around like a lost puppy dog'? Or something along those lines." I explained.

Dimitri nodded, his eyes narrowed. "Well, thank you for clearing that up, Rose. I think Camille and I will take a trip to Fink's office now."

I nodded. I had some questions for him, like how did he know she was the one to start things? But I kept them to myself, thinking that I'd ask him about it Monday. I watched them walk down the hall for another minute before leaving the school.

[BREAK]

"Rose." Eddie said with a small smile on his face. He got up – the first time I'd seen him out of bed since we were at the hospital – and came over to me, taking my hands in his. "Come sit with me."

I did, never letting go of his hands. "So, why did you want to see me alone?"

He looked down. "I… I don't know. I mean, I do know, but…" Eddie took a deep breath before continuing, "It's just that I feel like we're closer – and were closer to Mason – than everyone else. And I wanted to make sure that you're okay."

I laughed in astonishment. "_You _wanted to know if _I _am okay? I think I've heard just about everything now."

Eddie shook his head. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Oh, no, it's not. It's just that you've been… Well, out of it lately. You don't know how worried I've been." I corrected him.

Without warning, Eddie hugged me hard. "I'm sorry I worried you. I just… I couldn't deal, you know? I still can't. It's all my fault. Mason wouldn't be…wouldn't be dead right now if it weren't for me."

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close. "Oh, Eddie." I whispered. "It's not your fault. You had no idea that something would happen. It's all going to be okay."

We stayed like that for half an hour, with me reassuring Eddie that he wasn't to blame for Mason's death. He argued with me, but I could tell that he was starting to come around.

"Listen to me." I told him, putting him at arm's length. I tilted his chin so that he was looking at me. "What do you think Mason would say if he were here?"

Eddie shook his head. "I don't know."

I gave him a little shake, just enough to let him know he was being crazy. "Yes, you do. You tell me what he would say to you if he were here."

I thought he was going to stay silent and ignore me, but just when I was about to give up, Eddie lifted his head again. "He'd say, 'Come on, Eddie! You're…'" He broke off, tears running down his face. I wanted to take him back in my arms and comfort him again, but I knew he had to say the rest in order to get better. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself and said, "'You're stealing my spotlight.'"

I smiled. "That sounds like Mason, always joking around. What else do you think he'd say?"

"He'd tell me to stop being a pansy." I laughed at this. Mason was always calling people pansies when they got emotional or started to chicken out on something. Tears were still falling down Eddie's face, but he was smiling now. "And then he'd punch me."

We both laughed, knowing full well that he was right. I hugged him again. "You see? We have to remember the good times, not the bad. And you know that Mason would want us to be happy, no matter what."

Eddie pulled away and wiped his face with his comforter. With a small smile, he said, "You tell anyone about this and I'll tell everyone about the time you peed yourself watching _Step Brothers_."

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "That's not fair! That movie was hilarious and you promised you wouldn't tell anyone, ever."

"You promise not to tell about this and I'll promise to keep my promise."

As I sat there, looking at Eddie and his mischievous smile, I knew everything would be okay. We'd move on with our lives, but we'd always keep Mason in our hearts. "You, sir, have a deal."

He smiled for a moment more, but then got serious. "Rose, part of the reason why I wanted you to come by yourself is… I want to tell you what happened out there."

I froze as an icy chill went down my spine. "I don't think that's a good idea, Eddie."

"Please? I don't want to keep this to myself anymore. And, before you say it, I don't want to tell some stranger either, so the school counselor or a therapist won't help."

"Why me? Why not wait until we're all together to explain what happened?" I asked.

He got up and walked over to his dresser, taking a picture of me, Lissa, Christian, Mia, Eddie, and Mason off the top of it. He brought it over to me. "You remember this?"

I nodded. We'd all just gotten back from camping, so we all had dirt all over us. You could see all of our camping gear behind us. Eddie's mom had taken the picture as soon as we got to his house.

"Just look at it. You can kind of see how our group worked by looking at where we all are." he told me.

I could. Lissa and Christian were off to the left, their arms around each other. They had gigantic smiles on their faces, even though they were dirty and scraped up from thorns. Mia was sitting down next to them, a small smile on her face as she looked at the camera. I remembered that she'd sat down there a couple minutes before the picture was taken because she was so tired from walking. We'd all had to gather around her because she refused to move.

On the right side of the picture was me, Eddie, and Mason. I had one arm around Eddie's neck and the other around Mason's. In turn, they'd both grabbed my hands with one of theirs. We were smiling like a bunch of fools. I was happy and sad at the same time, looking at that picture.

"That was a fun day." I reminisced.

Eddie nodded. "So do you get why I want to talk to you first? Did this help you understand at all?"

It was my turn to nod. "Yeah, I do." I looked at the picture once more before handing it back to Eddie. "Go ahead and tell me."

He put the picture back on his dresser before sitting next to me again. He didn't look at me as he told the story. I could tell it was hard for him to do this, so I didn't interrupt.

"We came over here after school and I got my guns out. I made him tell me all the safety measures he needed to take with the guns before we could go out. I'd been teaching him for a couple of weeks how to handle a gun. He got everything right, remembering everything I taught him.

"We went out into the woods, looking for prey as we made our way to my deer stand. We stayed out there for a while, but nothing ever showed itself, so we decided we'd try again later. As we were walking back, we came across that clearing – you know the one I'm talking about right?" I nodded and he continued. "Well, Mason said he needed to pee, so I waited for him in the clearing while he set his gun up on a tree and did what he needed to.

"When he was done, he grabbed his gun and started walking toward me. He was halfway to me when he dropped his gun…"

I winced. I felt the desperate need to stop Eddie, but I knew that he needed to get this off his chest.

"I'm not exactly sure what happened next. It happened so fast… The gun went off when it hit the ground. It wasn't facing Mason, so I didn't think anything of it when he fell down. I thought he was messing with me, so I just jogged over to him. I saw…I saw the blood when I got a couple of feet away from him. I ran to him the rest of the way, looking for his wound. I found it on his right shoulder, just above where his heart was. I knew that was a really bad spot to get shot – well, any spot is a bad spot to get shot, but this was worse than most.

"I ripped the bottom of my shirt off and wrapped it as best I could around his wound to try and stop the bleeding. I applied pressure as I called my mom and told her what happened. I didn't know if it was smart to move him or not, but I knew that it would just take paramedics longer to get to him out in the clearing, so I picked him up and carried him to the house. I called 911 while I was on the way there.

"You know what happened after that, but you don't know that the cops called us that night after we got home. My parents didn't tell me until today, when I started to get better, but the cops told them that they thought the bullet ricocheted off of something and hit Mason. That's what they still think." Eddie concluded.

I didn't know what to do, other than say, "I'm so sorry, Eddie."

He nodded. "It's not okay. I don't think it'll ever be okay, but thank you."

There was a knock on the door and Eddie's mom stepped inside. "Rose, your parents called. They want you home now."

I smiled. "Thanks, Mrs. Castile. I'll just say goodbye to Eddie and then go." She gave me a smile in return and stepped back out, closing the door behind her. I looked at Eddie. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I will now. Thanks for coming by."

I stood up and gave him a hug. At the last second, I gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Call or text me if you wanna hang out again or just want to talk. I'll see you later."

He smiled. "I will. Bye, Rose."

As I walked to the door, I suddenly remembered something. "Uh, Eddie?"

"Yeah?"

I decided to lie. "He looked peaceful. Mason, that is."

The expression on his face told me that he knew I was lying, but he didn't say anything about it. He smiled. "Thanks."

**So, what do you guys think? Is there a character that you want to see more of? Let me know in a review! Also, I'd really like to get some feedback on the pace of the story. I know it's been really slow so far, but I don't want everything just happening at once. Let me know if I need to pick up the pace a bit or if it's fine the way it is. Thank you so much for reading my story and all the feedback you guys give me :)**


	4. No Signal

**You guys are awesome. Thank you for your reviews and thoughts on the story so far! A big thank you to ClauIloveDimitriBelikov and RozaRocks! Your reviews have helped me a lot! Thank you :) bboop12: As of right now, no, Rose is not pregnant. It could happen sometime in the future, but I'm not planning on Rose getting pregnant. I just feel like the whole "Rose is pregnant" notion has been done in a lot of other FanFics, and it would just complicate my story. Thank you for your question! Sorry about not getting to your question from chapter 1. Also, guest from chapter 2: Hmm. Something like that. You'll have to keep reading to find out :) I made this chapter longer because of the awesome reviews you guys sent me!**

"I'm home!" I yelled as I walked in my front door.

"Your mom's in the kitchen!" Dad yelled from upstairs.

I walked down the main hallway to the end of the hall, where the kitchen was. My mom was at the stove, taking what looked like meatloaf out of the oven. "Mmm. Smells good." I told her.

She set the meatloaf on the oven and looked at me, taking off the oven mitts. "And where were you?"

I mentally smacked myself on the forehead. "Oh, man. Mom, I'm sorry. Eddie asked me to come over after the viewing and I forgot to tell you."

She'd put the oven mitts up and was now getting down plates for the table. "That's alright. Go wash up and get ready for dinner."

That was weird. My mom would usually chew me out when I did stuff like that. I wondered if she'd heard the news about me and Camille and was just saving her voice for later so she could _really _chew me out. I decided I wouldn't bring it up unless my parents did and started walking to the stairs. My phone went off, signaling that I had a text.

_You forgot your bag and books at the viewing. I have them. On my way to bring them to you. _It was from Lissa.

I turned around. "Mom, it's cool if Lissa swings by, right?"

"Did you already tell her it's okay?" she replied, not looking away from the silverware she was taking out.

I gave her my best innocent expression. "Uh, maybe… Besides, I forgot my books and stuff at the school and I need them for my homework. She's bringing them to me."

She sighed. "Alright then, but only for a little bit."

I thanked her and ran upstairs to my bathroom. Once I'd fixed my hair – I pulled it up in a ponytail because it was pretty messy – and washed my hands, I went back downstairs. I heard my mom fussing in the kitchen.

Alright, I know this is weird, but we have two sets of stairs in my house. There's one set of stairs in the living room and another set in the dining room, which is connected to the kitchen. That's what made it so easy to hear people when they yelled from upstairs.

"Of course I made enough food for four people, but that isn't the issue. I'd wanted us to have a _family _dinner. That's why I told Rose that Lissa couldn't stay." my mom was saying to my dad.

I was going to ask her what she was talking about, but the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" I yelled, seeing as I was the closest one to the front door and it was probably Lissa. I opened the door, automatically assuming Lissa was behind it. "Hey, thanks for bringing my – "

I immediately stopped talking when I saw who was at the door. Dimitri.

I freaked out, stepping out – and making him step back in the process – and shutting the door behind me. "What are you _doing _here?"

He gave me a hard look. "What are you doing? Don't you think it's a little weird that you came out here instead inviting me in?"

"Oh, please, they probably think you're Lissa. We're fine." I waved him off.

"Your parents are expecting me."

Just then, the door opened behind us. "Mr. Belikov, I am so sorry. Rose isn't usually so rude." My mom gave me a quick look that told me I'd hear more about this later. "Please, come in."

I was stunned. I waited for my parents and Dimitri to go inside before going in myself. I pinched myself on the arm, hoping this was all a dream. Ouch. No such luck.

[BREAK]

Lissa showed up ten minutes later. I asked her to take my stuff up to my room, quickly filling her in on who was here for dinner. She did as I asked, but not before telling me that she wanted to hear every detail later on the phone.

I found out that Dimitri had called my dad while he was upstairs and asked if he could come over some time to talk to them about me. Dad invited him to dinner without thinking, which is why my mom was so upset earlier.

So far, we had – well, _they _had – talked about dinner and gotten to know each other a little bit. But all the pleasantries were over with when my mom asked, "So, Dimitri, how do you like working for the school?" To my dismay, Dimitri had given my mom and dad permission to call him by his first name.

He smiled at her. "I'm enjoying it a lot. Of course, I wish I wasn't meeting the students under these circumstances, but I like my job nonetheless." He put his fork down. "Actually, I'm here to talk about that, and Rose, of course."

Both of my parents turned to look at me. I knew that move. It meant that I was no longer needed in the room. "Alright, alright. I'm going to my room." I assured them, getting up from the table with my plate in my hand.

"Don't worry about those for tonight, Rose. I'll get them later." My dad told me. I almost dropped my plate. Now I knew that there was something serious going on. My parents had brought me up doing chores, but most of the time I just had to clean up after myself and we were fine. They did my laundry and cooked my food, so the least I could do was clean up my own messes. Hey, I can be reasonable at times.

I went up to my bedroom and opened up the text message from Lissa. I sat on my bed as I wrote her back and sent the text.

_Liss! They sent me up to my room so they could talk… The old man even told me he'd clean up after me tonight! This is serious =/_

I flipped on my TV, scrolling through the channels. _Awkward. _was on MTV, so I turned it on. It was the episode from Tuesday that I'd missed. I curled my feet underneath me, excited to forget about all the drama in my life and focus on the drama in Jenna Hamilton's life. It was short lived, though, once I got Lissa's reply.

_Well, what are you doing?! Get out there and listen to what they're saying!_

I typed a quick reply about how weird it was that she had thought of that and not me. I stood there for a moment, contemplating whether or not I should turn off the TV before going outside. If I left it on, they might be able to hear it and still think I'm in my room, watching TV. But it might also give them a chance to hear when I opened the door because the TV would be louder. I sighed and hit the record button before turning it off. _Jenna, you'll have to wait for now._

I opened the door as quietly as I could, making sure to only open it enough for me to get through. I silently thanked whoever was up there helping me when I shut the door and it didn't squeak. Now it was just a matter of getting to the dining room staircase without stepping on a creaky floorboard. I carefully selected the spots to step on, trying to be light as a leaf. Again, to my surprise, I managed to make my way across the hall without making any noise.

I stayed behind the wall next to the staircase and bent down, trying to hear the conversation going on downstairs.

"No, she hasn't had any problems communicating with me, but I still think it'd be best if we got some outside help." Dimitri was saying.

"I still don't understand. Why exactly are you suggesting this?" my mom asked.

There was a pause before Dimitri spoke again. "Well, it seems like Rose is taking Mason's death harder than any other student I've seen. I'm sure the school called you about the incident today?"

_Shit. _I thought. _Thanks, Dimitri. Way to be a good comrade and rat me out._

"Incident?" That was my mom.

"We haven't heard anything from the school today." my dad answered.

Again, a pause. "I'd thought that Principal Fink told you after the viewing this afternoon."

"We weren't able to go. Janine had a dentist appointment and we weren't sure if they were going to put her under or not, so I had to drive her. What is this about an incident?"

"Maybe it'd be better if I just let the school call you, or Rose could tell you." Dimitri suggested.

But I knew my parents. They would eat him alive if he didn't tell them what happened. But, unlike me, my parents had a way of staying calm and talking people into things. Sure enough, my mom said, "Dimitri, we appreciate you coming here and being so concerned about Rose, but you have to understand that you just told us our daughter was involved in some sort of incident that we have no clue about. You can imagine how worried we are right now. Please, tell us what you know."

Dimitri cleared his throat. "Well, while Rose was in the hallway today, she overheard Camille Conta talking about Mason and Eddie…"

My mom groaned. "I hate that girl."

"Janine!" my dad chastised her.

"What? You know as well as I do that that girl has caused us nothing but grief. What did she do this time?"

Dimitri sounded like he was amused at their banter. "Camille implied that Mason's death wasn't an accident and, when Rose confronted her about it, she accused Rose of murdering Mason."

My mom gasped and my dad asked what I'd done in return.

"She hit Camille a couple of times. I talked the principal into letting her out of her original punishment as long as she talked to me. She'll have to go to detention three times next week." Dimitri answered.

I grimaced. Damn. I hated detention. It was usually really boring because all they had you do was copy the dictionary for two straight hours.

I listened to them talk about what had happened with Camille and the repercussions of what I'd done for a while. Thankfully, Dimitri left out the part about Fink wanting to expel me. I thought about going back to my room – the conversation was now boring since I already knew everything they were talking about – when my phone vibrated. I opened it to find a message from Lissa.

_What's going on? I haven't heard back from you in a while. You didn't get caught, did you?_

I quickly typed a message back to her, trying to be as quiet as possible.

_No, I'm at the top of the dining room stairs, listening in. They're talking about what happened with Camille._

My legs were getting tired from crouching, but I didn't want to sit down and risk getting caught. Instead, I focused on their conversation, hoping it would distract me from the dull ache in my calves.

"Like I said, Rose is doing well in our sessions, but I do think that she would benefit from seeing someone else outside of school. I have many different therapists I can recommend to you…" Dimitri told my parents.

It took everything I had not to run down there and yell at him for being an idiot. I didn't want any outside help. I didn't need it.

"We'll talk to Rose about it before we make a decision, but thank you anyway for your recommendation." my dad said.

I could tell that the conversation was about to end by my dad's dismissive tone. I quickly snuck back into my room – again grateful that I didn't make any noise – and opened the window over my bed. I got a message from Lissa, but I couldn't check it right then. I made sure my door was locked before grabbing a handful of vines and climbing out my window.

My parents didn't know that I'd been sneaking out for years using the vines that grew on the side of our house. It hadn't been easy the first couple of times I attempted it, but I'd learned over time how to maneuver down them so I didn't make any noise. Luckily, there weren't any windows on this side of the house on the first floor.

I assumed that the Chrysler parked on the curb in front of my house was Dimitri's, so I snuck around the driver's side. I knew I couldn't try to sneak into the car right then because there was a red light flashing on the driver's side dashboard, indicating that the alarm was on. While I waited for Dimitri to come out, I opened my phone and checked the message from Lissa.

_He ratted you out?! I thought things between a person and their counselor were supposed to stay between them… Is that all he wanted to talk to them about?_

I told her that I agreed, it was ridiculous that he'd told my parents what happened with Camille, but also reminded her that they would've found out from the school anyway. I also told her that Dimitri had recommended I see a therapist outside of school. As I shut my phone, I saw the light from my living room escaping into the yard. I quickly ducked, not wanting to be spotted.

I couldn't hear what was being said, but my parents and Dimitri exchanged a few words before they shut the door and he started walking to down the path from my front door to the road. The only thing I had to hope for now was that my parents wanted to talk privately a little more before trying to talk to me.

As I'd expected, Dimitri came around the back of the car. As he did, I went around the front, trying not to make any noise. He unlocked the car before getting in and I silently opened the passenger's side back door just as he opened his door. I slid in the back, not caring about the noise the door would make when I closed it anymore. I'd accomplished what I needed, so I didn't need to be sneaky anymore.

"Shit!" Dimitri swore when I closed the door. He didn't even need to turn around to know it was me. "Rose, what the hell are you doing?"

"Why did you tell my parents I should see a therapist outside of school?" I asked.

He turned to look at me, but there was no surprise on his face as I'd expected. "I should have known you'd be listening. Look, now is not the time to discuss this. We'll talk Monday."

I knew by the tone of his voice that he'd meant for me to leave, but I wasn't going that easily. "Come on, comrade, now's the perfect time to talk about this. We're all alone, so we don't have to worry about eavesdroppers. Just tell me."

"Rose – "

"It's not like you can keep it a secret forever, so you might as well just tell me now and get it over with. You know I won't let it go until I get it out of you."

"Rose, can we _please _not do this – "

"I mean, I could keep this up all night. My parents might come looking for me and it'll be weird if they find me in here, with you, but I don't think it's anything I can't – "

"Rose!" Dimitri yelled. I quick talking instantly and sat back. I suddenly didn't think I could keep this up for five more minutes, let alone the rest of the night. Dimitri turned around and sighed when he saw my expression. "Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I have a headache and I just want to go home and go to bed."

I studied his face, trying to figure out if he was lying to me or not. I decided it didn't matter. If he wanted me to leave, I'd leave. But I wasn't going to let him think he'd hurt my feeling or anything before I did so. "Hey, you could have just said so. But first, give me your phone."

He shook his head, exasperated. "Why?"

"Just hand it over." I held my hand out expectantly. I was surprised when he did as I asked without any protests. I went to his contacts and scrolled down to the R's. "Hey, you didn't delete my number." That surprised me.

"Why would I delete it?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I figured you would since we're only supposed to have a professional relationship."

"We are." he answered, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "That doesn't mean you can't text or call me when you need to talk."

I could definitely use that to my advantage. "Hmm. In that case, I want to talk tomorrow, so keep your phone on you."

He shrugged. I think he would have done or said anything to be done with this conversation at that point. "Okay, I'll leave it on. Can I leave now?"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "Sure thing, comrade. I'll see you later."

"Don't call me that."

I laughed, ignoring him as I stepped out of the car. Before I shut the door, I said, "Be careful…comrade." I barely saw his scowl before he drove away.

[BREAK]

"If anyone has anything they'd like to say about Mason, you're welcome to do so now." the pastor at Mason's funeral announced.

Even though this was my friend's funeral, I wasn't very religious, so I hadn't paid much attention to the service. Instead, I tried to think about all the wonderful times I'd had with Mason.

Lissa stood up and made her way to the front of the room. We'd all gotten together – Mia, Eddie, Lissa, Christian, and I – and agreed that Lissa should be the one to speak for all of us. She talked mostly about how Mason would never be forgotten by any of us, but occasionally brought up something about Mason that we all loved, like how he'd crack a joke at the most awkward times.

We weren't going to the burial – Mason was being buried 3 hours away in his family's cemetery – so we all decided to go A Piece of Italy, Mason's favorite pizza shop. But trouble found us before we could even leave the funeral home.

"_You_!"

My group of friends all turned around toward the voice to find an older woman walking toward us. She was pointing at Eddie. "_You're _the one who got my grandson killed! How _dare _you show your face here?!"

I stepped in front of Eddie, desperately wanting to protect him. "You must be Patty. Listen, Mason was Eddie's _friend_. He would never hurt him. It was an accident."

"Oh really?" she asked, glaring at me. "Then why was the gun that supposedly shot him facing the other direction when it went off? Answer that."

She was causing a scene. A lot of the people around us had stopped their conversations to see the spectacle. I realized that most people didn't know exactly how Mason had been shot – it was still private information since the cast was still ongoing – and this lady was just blabbing away the details with no regard to what others would think. I stepped closer to her, keeping my voice down. "You might want to think _really _hard about what you're going to say next because, believe me, I am _not _above punching an old woman."

Dimitri suddenly appeared beside us. I knew he'd been at the service, but hadn't seen him hanging around afterward. "Excuse me, Ma'am, but you might want to reconsider making those kinds of accusations. If what you're saying gets around and it isn't true, you could be irrevocably damaging an innocent young man's reputation."

"I don't care." she said, shooting Dimitri daggers. "I want my grandson's killer brought to justice."

"Then I would suggest you go to the police and talk to them about the investigation. If what you're saying isn't true, that's defamation of character and could get you into some serious trouble." Dimitri informed her, his voice as low as mine had been.

Patty took turns looking at each of us before shaking her head. "Everyone will know what you did. You just watch." With that, she walked away.

I turned to Dimitri. "Thanks. I was about two seconds away from going all Rocky on her ass."

He chuckled. "I figured you were. That's why I stepped in."

"Hey, you're going to leave your phone on today, right? Don't think I haven't forgotten about our talk. It's going to happen." I assured him.

"Rose, I don't know if that's such a good idea…"

I shook my head. "Don't give me any of that BS, comrade. Just keep your phone on you and I'll text you later."

I turned around to go back to my friends, but Dimitri stopped me. "Yes?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I'm really sorry. About Mason. About everything."

I heard the double meaning in his words. He wasn't just apologizing for what happened with Mason; he was also apologizing for everything that had happened between us. "There's no need to apologize." I told him. "None of it was your fault."

He nodded, but I could still see the concern in his eyes. "I'll see you later, then."

"Yes, you will. Later today." He groaned, but I ignored him. "Later."

[BREAK]

We were walking back to the school after stuffing ourselves with pizza – our way of saying a final goodbye to Mason – when I got a text message. My heart leaped in my chest, thinking it was Dimitri. Who else would be texting me? My parents still didn't know how to properly text so they avoided it altogether. All of my friends who usually texted me were with me, so it wouldn't make sense that they'd text me now – unless they were trying to mess with me.

I opened it with a big smile on my face. A smile that quickly vanished when I read the text.

_Watch your back._

It was from a blocked number. I scowled. _What a pansy,_ I thought, making me think of Mason and smile. I was still grieving for Mason, but I was trying my hardest to think of all the good memories I'd made with him instead of dwelling on the bad. _Don't even have the courage to tell me who you are._

Lissa suddenly came up to me and looped her arm through mine. "What's wrong?"

"Ugh." I groaned. "Were you spying on my emotions again?"

Lissa gave me a sheepish smile. "A little?" She burst out laughing at the look on my face. I realized that this was probably how I made Dimitri feel all the time: frustrated. "C'mon, loosen up a little!"

I gave her an incredulous stare. "We just said our final goodbyes to our friend, Lissa. Forgive me if I'm not all unicorns and rainbows."

She looked at the ground, looking ashamed. "I know, I haven't forgotten. But we can't go around feeling sorry for ourselves all the time. Mason wouldn't want that."

I took a deep breath and held it, trying to get rid of my dark feelings. "I know. I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's just stressful, you know?"

She nodded. "I understand. So is that the only thing that's got you feeling down?"

"No, I just got this weird text from a blocked number." I showed it to her. "Who do you think it is?"

"Hmm." Lissa thought about it for a moment. "I can only think of two people: Camille and Patty. Either way, though, I don't think you should pay too much attention to it. Whoever it is, they're probably just trying to scare you."

I smiled. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'll just delete it. So what are you and Christian doing for the rest of the day?"

Mia piped in on our conversation. "Yeah, what are you guys doing?"

Christian was the one who answered. "Lissa's dad had to go to Helena after the funeral for business and he took Andre with him, so we'll be spending the rest of the day holed up in her house." He wriggled his eyebrows, just in case we didn't get it.

Mia pretended to stick her finger down her throat and made a sound like she was throwing up. I laughed. "I agree; what she said."

We all laughed as we finally made it to the school's parking lot. "What about the rest of you? What are you doing for the rest of the day?" Lissa asked.

"Mia and I are planning on catching a movie." Eddie told us, a slight blush creeping up on his cheeks. I figured those two would start dating soon. It might not have been official, but it would be. It was hard _not _to tell that those two were completely into each other.

"Guess that leaves you all by yourself, eh, Rose?" Christian asked, grinning like a little kid in a candy store.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Only because you guys can't handle my awesomeness 24/7." We all laughed. "Actually, I have an appointment with Dim-Mr. Belikov today."

They all looked at me, confused. "He does sessions outside of school?" Mia asked.

"I'm not sure. From what I can tell, no, but I'm a special case. He just can't stay away from me." I gave them a mischievous grin.

Eddie lightly punched me in the arm. "Yeah, you're special, alright, Hathaway."

"Seriously, though, why do you have an appointment with him on the weekend?" Lissa asked.

I thought about that, wondering how much I could reveal. I decided to take the road most travelled: the path of lying my ass off. "Well, after I smacked Camille around a little bit yesterday, Mr. Belikov came to my house to talk to my parents. He told them what happened and they asked him if he'd be willing to schedule some appointments for me on the weekend if they paid him."

"Heh." Christian laughed it off. "Leave it to the people who brought you into this world to be completely oblivious to you. If they paid attention, they'd know that you don't have any mental problems; that was just you being yourself."

Mia smacked his arm. "Getting real deep, there, huh? Decided to follow in Mr. Belikov's footsteps?"

My phone went off. I opened it, no longer paying attention to our conversation.

_So what time should I be expecting you to call?_

It was from Dimitri. A little glimmer of hope flashed through my heart. He'd sent me a text first! But what did that mean…?

"Guys, I gotta get going. I'll see you tomorrow?"

They all nodded and I left, my stomach full of butterflies.

[BREAK]

"Liss, what happened?" I asked as I held my front door open for her. She looked horrible. Her skin was way too pale and she had bags under her eyes. She looked like she was exhausted just trying to stand.

"Can we go to your room?" she asked, shuffling in. "I feel awful."

I nodded, taking hold of her arm so she wouldn't fall down. I still had another hour before I needed to leave. Dimitri and I had decided that it would be best if we met somewhere public so as not to raise any suspicion. It wasn't like we were doing anything bad, but it would certainly look that way to other people if we went to his place. I told him about a couple of different places we could go, and we'd both agreed that the coffee shop on Elm and 2nd Street was the best spot.

Once we were in my room, Lissa sprawled out on my bed. "Christian and I had a fight. A bad one."

I sat down on the little spot of bed she wasn't laying on. "Why, what happened?"

"It was so stupid! We were in my bedroom and things were…heating up." I grimaced. "Save the commentary for later, Rose. Please." Seeing the pain in her eyes, I nodded. "Thank you. Anyway, like I said, we were getting close to having sex when my dad and brother came home. They weren't supposed to be home until midnight tonight, but dad's meeting was over sooner than he expected.

"Christian got mad and threw a fit. I understood where he was coming from – I was frustrated, too – but he was acting like a complete asshole. I tried to calm him down, tried to talk some sense into him, but he was too mad. I just spent the last hour trying to figure out what to say to calm him down based on his emotions, but nothing worked." she finished.

"Aw, Liss, I'm sorry. He'll come around by tomorrow, he always does." I assured her.

She nodded and yawned before saying, "I know. I just hate it when we fight. It always leaves me feeling empty. Hey, do you think I could stay the night tonight?"

"Uh, I'm not sure." I answered, honestly having no idea if she could or not. "I'll have to ask my mom. I'm meeting Dim-Mr. Belikov in an hour and I don't know how long we'll be so you might be by yourself for a bit."

Her gaze went to the floor and she looked totally defeated. "Then forget it. I don't feel like being by myself tonight. I'll just go crash Eddie and Mia's movie date."

I looked her up and down, genuinely concerned for her well-being. "Are you sure you don't just want to go home and get some rest?" I asked. Obviously all the energy she'd been using trying to get a reading on Christian had taken its toll.

"No, I'll be fine. It's only a couple more hours to bedtime anyway." She yawned again.

I sighed and held my hands out.

She shook her head. "No, Rose, I'm not taking energy from you this time. I'll be fine. Besides, you have to go meet Mr. Belikov and I'm pretty sure he won't be happy if you're falling asleep during your session."

"I'll cancel if I have to. Look at you; you're exhausted. I'd be surprised if you could even make it to the your house, let alone the movie theater. You don't have to take a lot if you don't want to, but at least take a little bit."

"That's the thing, though…" She sat up. "I can't control how much I take. It just sort of happens."

I shook my head. "Doesn't matter. Just take it." When she looked like she was going to protest again, I took her hands. My guess is that she couldn't help herself once the energy was right there, because I automatically felt the tingling that always started at the top of my head. Heat flashed through me for a moment and then I let go, feeling drained.

Lissa groaned. "Why did you do that?"

I shrugged. "Because you needed it." I looked at the clock. "I gotta get ready to go now, but feel free to hang around if you want. My parents are having dinner and told me they wouldn't be home until late."

"Yeah, what's up with that? They haven't punished you at all for what happened with Camille yesterday. Do you think they're waiting to drop the gavel?" she asked.

Again, I had no answer, so I shrugged. "I don't know. I think they're being lenient on me after everything that happened with Mason. I also heard my mom saying she hated Camille, so that might have something to do with it."

Lissa laughed. "Even adults hate that girl." She stood up, looking way better than she had when she'd arrived. There were still bags under her eyes, but they weren't nearly as dark as they had been. "Well, I guess I'll go…"

"I'll text you later." I told her, getting up and going to my vanity. Lissa went to open my door, but stopped at the last second.

"Uh, I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot." I said. I was trying to keep my mouth closed while I applied my mascara. It was impossible.

Lissa let go of the doorknob and stood behind me so that I could see her through my vanity mirror. "Earlier, when you were talking to Patty and Mr. Belikov stepped in… I felt something pass between you guys."

I put on my best confused face. I was pretty sure that what she'd felt was my attraction to and feelings for Dimitri, but I wasn't about to tell her that. She was my best friend and I wanted to share everything with her, but this secret was just too dangerous to tell. "Like what?"

"I don't know, but it wasn't the first time I felt it. It happened when you guys game back from Fink's office, too."

I suddenly remembered Lissa looking back and forth between Dimitri and I when we'd met her in Dimitri's waiting room. "Huh. That's weird."

"Yeah…" Lissa looked like she wanted to say something else, but decided against it. "Well, I'm really going to head now. I'll see you later. And thanks for sharing your, um, energy with me."

I told her it was no problem and that I'd text her later. But, even as I told her this, I wondered if I should keep telling her things that happened between Dimitri and I. If she could already feel my emotions for him when we were together, I shouldn't be telling her things that might make her more suspicious.

My phone went off a few minutes after Lissa left.

_You on your way?_

Even though I was exhausted now that I'd helped Lissa out, I couldn't help the goofy grin that spread across my face. I quickly typed in a reply, letting him know I was, indeed, on my way and walked out the door.

[BREAK]

"Okay, wait. She made you do _what_?" I asked Dimitri, smiling.

He was sitting across from me at a small table in the corner of the coffee shop we'd agreed to meet at. His notepad was sitting in front of him, but he wasn't paying attention to it anymore. We'd started off the evening talking about our sessions, but the conversation quickly took a turn toward more personal things.

He laughed. I loved the way he looked right then, like he didn't have a care in the world. Kind of like he'd been over the summer. "Karolina made me dress up in dresses and marry her dolls just so I could play with her and her friends. They have _tons _of pictures."

I smiled. "Makes me wonder what you'd look like in a dress…"

"You're never going to find out." He laughed again. "Besides, where would you find a dress that would fit _me_?"

"We'll just have to measure you and get a tailor to make you a dress. You could pick out the design and everything!" It was my turn to laugh.

He shook his head, causing some of his hair to fall into his face. I desperately wanted to push that strand back behind his ear, wanted to feel the softness of his hair one more time. I was distracted by it, leaving a lull in the conversation. Things became awkward fast.

"I'm gonna go get another drink. You want one?" I asked, getting up. I must've gotten up a little too fast because stars flashed before my eyes and my knees started to wobble.

Dimitri reached out and steadied me. "I don't think that's a good idea. It's actually getting pretty late. You should head home." I looked up into his face. He said one thing, but his expression said another. I could tell he was having fun and didn't want to leave. In fact, he was still holding me in place, even though I was perfectly capable of standing on my own.

"But you still haven't told me why you want me to see a therapist." I made a face and he laughed.

Shaking his head, he murmured, "Alright, Roza. Sit down."

I was glad that he'd released me before he could feel the shiver go through my body. He hadn't called me by my nickname since we'd been at the Shore, and even then he only called me that when he was feeling particularly loving.

I sat down, knowing that he was right. I was going to have to leave soon. I was almost too tired to stand. Giving Lissa my energy earlier suddenly seemed like a bad idea. "So? Tell me."

"There are a few reasons why I want you to think about seeing someone outside of school. The first is that I think you would benefit from talking to someone who doesn't know you personally before your first session. That can complicate things." he explained.

Oh, boy, did I know about the complications of personally knowing your counselor. He was the one who had no idea.

"And the other reason I wanted you to see someone else is because…well, I know this is hard." He gestured between us. "Not just for you, but for me as well."

I thought about that for a moment. "But I thought you'd said that we were going to keep having our sessions, even if I did see a therapist?"

He nodded. "Even though this is hard, I think it's still helping you. Besides, it wouldn't hurt for you to have a friend who works in the office with all the trouble you get into." My heart sank at his use of the word "friend", but I did my best to hide it. Apparently, it worked. "That's right, I've seen your record."

I laughed. "Hey, most of the things I do, I do for the greater good."

"You have no idea what the 'greater good' is, do you?" He had a giant smile on his face now, showing teeth. "Dropping firecrackers in one of the toilets in the girls bathroom?"

"That one was just for fun."

"Setting free all the frogs that were going to be dissected in biology?"

"Those poor frogs were trapped! Wouldn't you want someone to release you if you were about to get your body cut open while you were still alive?"

He ignored my question. "Oh, and what about the dead rat you put in Ms. Lexington's desk?"

I shrugged. "It wasn't dead when I put it in there."

Dimitri laughed, sitting back as he did. "Rosemarie Hathaway, you are a piece of work."

I'd wanted to tell him that he hadn't seen anything yet, but a yawn prevented me from doing so.

"Look at you, you're about to fall out right here. I think it's time we called it a night." He grabbed his things and put them all back into his bag. "Do you need a ride?"

"No, I'll just walk home."

"Are you sure? It's not a problem if you want a ride."

I shook my head, which really wasn't a good idea cause I was so sleepy. "My house isn't far from here. Thanks for the offer, though." I got up, grabbing my purse as I did.

"Rose?"

"Mmhmm?"

"Thanks for tonight. This was fun." Dimitri gave me a sweet smile, one that said that even if we couldn't be together, he was still fond of me.

I nodded and returned his smile. "It was."

We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways, but before even two minutes had gone by, he sent me a text.

_Maybe we should do that again sometime…?_

I smiled, thinking about teasing him like he was asking me out on a date, but decided against it. That would be too awkward. Instead, I started typing that that sounded nice, but I never got a chance to finish it.

I hadn't been paying attention to where I was going or any of my surroundings. Suddenly, big, muscular arms grabbed me, pulling me into the alley right next to me that I hadn't even noticed. I took in a deep breath to scream, but a hand clamped over my mouth before I could. I struggled against him – I knew it was a guy by the arms – and tried to make as much noise as I could, but it wasn't much.

My attacker rocked me backward and then threw me forward as hard as he could. I hit a wall, my head smacking against it and making stars dance before my eyes. If I'd thought I was dizzy in the coffee shop, I was sorely mistaken. I got on my hands and knees, desperately trying to find a way to get away from this guy, but he was blocking the only exit.

He came forward and kicked me in the stomach as hard as he could. I heard something snap and the wind got knocked out of me. I rolled over on my side, desperately trying to get air. I don't know how, but I suddenly realized that I still had my phone in my hand. I felt for the keys, praying that I was hitting the right buttons.

A hand made its way into my hair and twisted. It yanked upward, bringing my head with it.

"I told you to watch your back."

I was confused. I could see my attacker right in front of me and his hands were to his sides. My mind was fuzzy and I couldn't think straight. Something was nagging at the back of my mind, but I couldn't focus on it through the pain.

The hand in my hair yanked again, bringing me into an upright position.

"Hold her."

Again, something nagged at the back of my mind. _I know that voice…_ But, again, I couldn't think through the pain, couldn't determine who's voice that was.

My first attacker came forward, going behind me. He held me up by getting a grip under my arms. My head drooped forward as I was no longer in control of my body.

"No, her head needs to be upright."

The man holding me up let go of my right arm, making me start to tip forward. Before I could fall, though, the hand that had been holding my right arm snaked into my hair just like my other attacker had done. He pulled my hair back, forcing my head up.

I was trying to see what was coming – trying to see _anything _– but it was too dark and there were so many stars in my vision.

_Smack!_

I heard the impact before I felt it. I had no idea what I'd just been hit with, but I knew it was hard. I was now on the ground. I tasted metal in my mouth right before I spit up blood. I couldn't move a muscle, not even my eyes. I'd never, _ever _been in this much pain before. It was all-consuming.

"I think that did it. Drag her over there, behind the dumpster. No one will find her for at least a couple days, and she'll be gone long before that."

My head spun as someone grabbed my ankles and pulled me along the ground. I found the strength to clench my left hand, even though I didn't know why I was. I was vaguely aware of the scrapes I was getting from being dragged across the rocky ground. Just when I thought I'd pass out – when I thought the pain would never end – I stopped moving.

I lay there, wanting to move, wanting to cry, but I couldn't do anything. I heard my attackers' footsteps as they walked back out to the road. They seemed to walk forever, but then I realized that I was no longer hearing their footsteps, but the sound of my own heart, trying to keep me alive.

With every heartbeat, I saw red, even when my eyes were closed. I wheezed with every shaky breath I took. At one point, I thought I was going to throw up, but it turned out to be just more blood. I knew then, without a doubt, that I was going to die if someone didn't find me fast. I tried, over and over again, to make a sound – _any _sound – but none came.

I opened my eyes. I couldn't see anything at first, but the longer I kept my eyes open, the clearer things became. I could vaguely make out the shape of my cell phone in front of my face. It was in my left hand. So that's what I'd been holding onto so hard when they dragged me back here.

With the last of my strength, I hit as many buttons as I could on my cell phone, hoping the message wasn't too jumbled up. As I hit the send button, I sent a prayer up to Heaven. _Please, _please _let him know what I'm saying. Please._

I managed to hit another button on my phone and the screen came to life. The light was like an eighteen wheeler running my head over, it hurt so bad. When I finally managed to make out what the words said on the screen, I felt like my heart stopped beating. No such luck, though.

_No signal._

I lay there for a few more moments, wondering if I would make it out of this alive. I tried to laugh, but it hurt. No. There was no way I'd get out of this one. This was where I was going to die, behind a dumpster.

_Mason, _I thought, _don't worry. You won't be alone for long._

Surprisingly, I didn't pass out. Instead, I thought of Dimitri. Sweet, funny, amazing Dimitri. I was glad we'd got to spend one more night as friends. An involuntary whimper escaped my lips and I winced. It hurt, but not nearly as bad as the thought of never seeing Dimitri again.

_What the _fuck _are you doing? _I thought. _You're just going to sit here and die? No. You get your ass up and make it to that road. I don't care if you have to crawl. Do what you have to do. Do it for Dimitri, for Lissa, for all your other friends and family. Get up and _go!

The next…hell, I had no idea how long it was, but it _hurt_. I dragged my body across the ground, over and over again. The scrapes I'd gotten when they dragged me behind the dumpster had started to close – they weren't _that _deep – but I tore them back open as I struggled against the uneven floor. At that point, I could barely even feel the pain in the lower half of my body anymore. I knew that wasn't a good sign, but I didn't have time to think about it.

I was about ten feet from the road – still pretty well cloaked by the darkness of the alley – when I came across yet another obstacle. There was a small hill in front of me, followed by a dip in the concrete. I reached forward, doing my best to dig my nails into the dipped part of the concrete so that I could pull myself along easier. I'd almost made it over the hill when I heard a _snap!_

A gut-wrenching scream somehow made its way out of my body. I lay down with my face to the ground, willing the throbbing in my hand to stop. When I finally looked up, I started to cry. I'd broken my right index finger. How was I going to drag myself to the road with a broken finger?

_No, don't give up! _a voice that sounded surprisingly like Dimitri yelled in my head. _Use your other hand!_

I somehow managed to get my cell phone in my right hand. Groaning, I reached forward with my left hand, but when I tried to drag myself again, my arm went limp.

"I can't do it…" I cried, wincing as the words sent waves of pain throughout my body.

_Ding!_

I looked up at my cell phone. The screen was lit up. _Message sent._

I caught a glimpse of the message I'd tried to send to Dimitri earlier behind the dumpster, the one that had finally just now sent.

_Yeah, I'd like tHELP ALLEY HURT SOS SOS SOS_

That was the last thing I saw before I was finally released from the pain.

**So…? Tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review! As always, thank you so much for reading my story and letting me know what you think.**


	5. Under Pressure

**I've been trying to update ASAP, but this chapter is probably a little later than my other chapters have been. I'm glad that you guys are enjoying the story. Also, thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! I wasn't sure if I should continue this story at first, but it seems like a lot of you are enjoying it, so I'll definitely continue. Without further ado, the story continues…**

"A month?!"

I fiddled with my hospital band. There was no way they were telling me the truth. I couldn't have been sleeping for an entire month.

I was lying in a hospital bed with my parents next to me. I'd woken up about an hour ago and the first thing I'd wanted to do was eat. They'd been sitting next to me the whole time, looking at me with concern in their eyes.

My mom leaned forward and put her hand on my mine. "Honey, you were…in really bad shape when they brought you in here. We didn't even know if you were going to make it."

I shook my head. "I don't understand. What happened to me?"

"Well, we were actually hoping that _you _could tell us that." my dad explained.

My doctor, a petite woman with a brown bob who'd been monitoring the machines to my left, walked to the left side of my bed, opposite my parents. "You shouldn't try too hard to remember anything just now. What happened to you was very traumatic. Your mind is keeping the memories from you right now so that they won't interfere with your recovery.

"You also suffered from a fractured skull, which may have damaged your ability to remember certain things. Can you tell me the last thing you remember before being here?" she finished.

I thought back, wondering how the events of a month ago could feel like yesterday. "Um, I remember…Mason's funeral." I stopped, thinking the doctor would say something, but she just nodded at me to keep going. "Afterward, uh…I was with my friends. We ate lunch and then…I left them to go home."

"But you left the house again." my mom said.

My doctor gave her a look that said she needed to stop trying to help me.

"I did?" I asked, trying to remember. Where would I have gone after that? I remembered my friends all telling me they had things to do that night, so I didn't think I'd gone to meet up with them. A flash of something I'd seen before popped into my head. I was sitting at my vanity, putting on makeup, with Lissa behind me. "Lissa came to see me."

My parents nodded like they already knew that. "And then…?"

Before I could answer, my doctor spoke. "I actually think that's enough for today. We should let Rose rest."

"Rest? I've been asleep for a month! I don't need any more rest!" I exclaimed.

But my doctor disagreed and shooed my parents out of the room.

I stayed in the hospital for another couple of days, desperately trying to remember what had happened to me. It was like the harder I tried to remember, the less it worked. But I wasn't giving up. I'd find out what happened to me.

It turned out that I'd broken two ribs, my finger, fractured my skull, and punctured a lung. They told me that I'd been healing up well, but it would be another couple of weeks until I was completely healed. Luckily, the fracture to my head wasn't horrible and my lung didn't get an infection in it when it punctured, making it that much easier for me to heal. My left side – the side with the broken ribs – was still sore, even though my ribs had mostly healed, and I had to wear a finger splint for two more weeks.

My friends sent gifts, cards, flowers, and letters to me through my parents. My doctor – whose name I found out was Dr. Jones – didn't want them visiting me so that I could rest. Jones barely let my parents in to see me.

I was happy to get a letter from Lissa the last day I was in the hospital.

_**Rose,**_

_** You have no idea what a relief it is to hear that you're awake and alright. When I heard what had happened to you, I was worried sick. I visited you a lot after school, but they'd had you in a deliberate coma so you could heal faster and easier. When I found out exactly how hurt you were, I was so scared. I didn't know if you were going to make it or not, no one did.**_

_** Having this happen so soon after Mason's death…well, it's been hard on all of us.**_

__Right there, in the middle of the note, Christian had apparently taken the note to scribble down what he wanted to say:

_**Don't let her lie to you, Rose. It has been hard on us, but Lissa's been…so different since your accident. When you get out of there, the first thing I'm going to do is give you a big hug. The second thing I'm going to do is put you right back in the hospital for worrying Lissa to death. Get better soon. We all miss you.**_

__I shook my head and laughed, reading that. Good to know that some things never changed. I continued reading the rest of Lissa's note.

_**Mr. Belikov made us swear that we wouldn't tell you anything for fear that it would jog a memory that you weren't ready to remember yet. I didn't want to keep anything from you at first, but, after a couple of sessions with him, I realized he was right. If you really want to know some details about what happened to you, I promise I'll tell you when I get to see you, but I want you to think about it before you do anything. I especially want you to think about what happened when I told you what had happened with Mason after you forgot about it. Remember your reaction? Imagine what would happen if you found out everything that happened to you all at once.**_

_** I've really missed you. You have…no idea. Call me as soon as they let you out of the hospital. I love you, just like you were my sister. Get better soon.**_

_** Love, Lissa. **__**And Christian.**_

There was a part of me that was frustrated that Lissa hadn't told me anything about what had happened to me. But however badly I wanted that, though, I knew that Dimitri had a point. If I'd been really hurt like everyone said I had, whatever happened to me must have been pretty bad. Remembering that might hurt me in the long run.

Over the course of my hospital stay – while I was awake, that is – I'd managed to piece some things together. I remembered my whole conversation with Lissa and how she'd taken some energy from me. After I remembered what we'd talked about, I remembered heading to the coffee shop to meet Dimitri. Thinking about that night made my heart ache. It had been so easy, talking and laughing with him. Now I was convinced we would be back to square one.

Even though I hated to admit it, I missed Dimitri more than anyone else. Why did I have to get hurt when I did? It seemed like Dimitri and I were finally making progress. I wondered what he'd been doing this past month, whether he worried about me or not. Even though I knew it was wrong, I wanted him to worry about me.

The whole time all of this was running through my head, there was one thing that I never stopped wondering about. What had happened to me? I'd only been able to come up with one theory, but it didn't feel right to me. Maybe, just _maybe_, Lissa had taken too much energy from me. I knew I was tired when I left the coffee shop that night. What if I was so tired that I'd deliriously wandered off and gotten myself hit by a car.

But if that _had _happened, wouldn't someone have come forward about it? Sure, there was a chance that someone wouldn't come forward for hitting me because they were scared they'd get into trouble. And there was another problem with that theory, as well. If that was what happened, wouldn't it make sense that I would start to remember things once I figured it out?

[BREAK]

I was trying hard not to bounce up and down as I sat at the lunch table. Lissa was right next to me, like she had been most of the time since I was let out of the hospital. Putting her hand on my shoulder, she tried to hold me down. "What's up with you?"

I smiled. "Nothing. I'm just happy to be here with you." I looked at Mia, Eddie, and Christian. "With all of you."

"I'd say I'm happy to be with you, too, but you aren't acting like you." Eddie laughed. One of the best things about being back was seeing how happy Eddie was. He'd given himself time to grieve for Mason and now he was – in his words – "living the life Mason would want me to live." He finally asked Mia out on a real date and the two were inseparable. That made me the only single person in the group.

"I guess almost dying does that to you." I shrugged.

They all nodded. "Have you remembered anything yet? I heard you were seeing Mr. Belikov again." Mia asked.

My stomach did a flip and I resisted the urge to begin bouncing again. "I haven't seen him yet. We have an appointment after lunch." That was why I was so bouncy. My nerves were on edge from the excitement of seeing Dimitri again. "And, no, I haven't remembered anything yet. Every now and then I feel this…tug, like I'm trying to remember something, but nothing ever comes."

They all looked disappointed, which bothered me. I was grateful to have my friends, people who worried about and looked out for me. That wasn't what made me want to scowl, though. No, I was frustrated because I knew that part of the reason they kept asking me – over and over and over again – if I'd remembered anything was because they wanted to be the first ones to know the hot gossip. _Everyone _was talking about my accident. It had happened a month ago, but my coming back to school had started all the rumors up again.

"Hey," Christian began, "I was thinking we could all go to the movies after school. You know, have a little welcome back party for Rose?"

Mia and Eddie started to agree, but stopped when they saw the looks on my and Lissa's faces.

"We can't." I sighed. "Dr. Jones wants me to take it easy for a little while longer, so I have to stay home as much as possible until next week. And even then, I probably won't be allowed out to places like the movies. My parents are still freaked out and don't want me going out by myself or to any dark places, even with a group. My mom's picking me up right after school cause my dad's out of town on business and I won't be allowed out again until school tomorrow morning."

"Well, that sucks." Mia told me.

Christian scoffed. "Yeah, first we don't get to see you cause you're in the hospital, now we don't get to see you cause you're under house arrest."

I laughed. "Careful, Christian, or I might think you actually like me."

"As if." he said. "I'm just trying to be considerate to our friends."

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and the beginning of fourth period. I felt my heart start to race and my palms begin to sweat. It was time to meet Dimitri.

I tried to keep normal conversation going with my friends as we began walking towards the main hallway, but it was hard to focus on what they were saying. I was nervous. My mind began to race, all sorts of question running through it. _What if he isn't happy to see me? What if all he cares about is trying to get me to remember what happened so he can won't have to see me anymore? What if…?_

As we approached the front office, I turned to my friends. "I'll see you guys later." I turned to leave, but Lissa stopped me.

"We were wondering if you might want us to come over since you can't leave your house later. I know you'll have to ask your mom, but I wanted to see if _you _were up to it first?" she asked.

I smiled at her. I knew Lissa had been channeling my emotions every chance she got, but it didn't bother me. It was obvious that she was just trying to make sure I was okay. "Sure, I'd like that. I'll ask my mom when I get home. But, for now, you need to stop doing you-know-what before you hurt yourself."

I'd told Lissa about my theory of what happened to me over the phone Saturday night, when they let me out of the hospital. I'd made her promise to cut back on using her powers, but she still wasn't convinced that using them could seriously hurt her. She rolled her eyes and said goodbye before running off to catch up with the rest of my friends.

Taking a deep breath to try and calm myself, I stepped into Mrs. Stepp's office. She looked up when she heard me approaching and gave me a smile. "Rose! I'm glad to see you're okay. What happened to you was just awful."

I'd been hearing the same thing all day – or something along those lines – from everyone, especially my teachers. No one really knew what had happened to me – if they did, they hadn't spoken up – but they all knew that I'd been pretty seriously injured.

"Thanks. It's great to be back." It was the same line I'd been saying all day. "Is Mr. Belikov in his office? We have an appointment."

"Oh, of course." she said, searching around her desk for something. "He's with a student right now, but you're welcome to have a seat in the waiting room."

I thanked her and went down the hallway towards the waiting room, surprised to see Fink's door open. He looked up when he heard my footsteps and nodded toward me, a smile on his face. It was weird to have him smiling at me; I usually only saw him when I was in trouble or when he was addressing the school. I'd seen him this morning before classes to discuss how I was going to make up the work I'd missed while in the hospital. While I was there, he shocked me by telling me that I didn't have to worry about the three detentions I was supposed to serve for beating Camille up.

_Apparently getting beat to a bloody pulp gets you out of punishment at school. _I thought.

Wait. Where had that come from? Getting beat…? I felt the tug in my mind that told me a memory was trying to surface, but a wall sprang up, keeping it away.

I silently cursed my brain as I sat on one of the couches in the waiting room. Why wouldn't it just let me remember? I could handle it, no matter how bad it was. I suddenly remembered something I'd read in an issue of Cosmopolitan.

_I sat on Lissa's bed while she sat on the floor, painting her toenails a deep red._

"_Hey, did you know," I began, scanning the article I was reading, "that there's a small percentage of rape victims that can't remember actually _being _raped? They know that they've been raped, they just can't remember the experience."_

_She took a break from blowing on her toenails, shaking her head. "No, I've never heard that before. How could you forget something like that?"_

_I shrugged. "I don't know. It's crazy and scary at the same time."_

"_Yeah, it is." she agreed._

Was that what happened to me? My heart began beating hard in my chest and my mind spun. Could I have been raped and just don't remember it? But, no, the hospital would've checked to see if that was what happened…_right_? My body felt numb as I thought back, realizing that they hadn't said anything about checking to see if I'd been raped. Maybe they hadn't thought it was a possibility.

I jumped at the sound of a door closing, bringing me back to reality. I looked up to see Collin Myers coming out of Dimitri's office. He smiled at me before heading toward Mrs. Stepp's office. I was actually surprised that he hadn't told me it was good to see me or that he was glad I was better.

I took two deep breaths, holding each in for a moment. I did my best to put my rape theory out of my head and walked over to the door. I briefly hesitated, my hand poised to knock. _What if he doesn't really want to see me…?_

I pushed the thought out of my mind. _It doesn't matter. You're going to _have _to see him at some point, so you might as well get it over with now._

I finally knocked, three quick raps on the door. A moment passed before I heard, "Come in," from the other side of the door.

The first thing I saw when I opened the door was how comfortable Dimitri had gotten in his office. He'd painted the walls a deep blue, a huge contrast from the bright yellow color it used to be. All the furniture in front of his desk – two La-Z-Boy chairs and a small chaise lounge – was the color of chocolate. He'd put a Betta fish in a small bowl on top of his file cabinet and there were photo frames – all facing the opposite direction than me, so I couldn't see the actual photos – scattered about his desk.

I looked over at Dimitri, who was sitting in the same black leather chair he'd had before. He was writing something down in a file in his lap, not bothering to look up as I came in. "Hey, comrade."

His head automatically snapped up to look at me, surprised. "Roza." He stood up as I shut the door behind me, coming around his desk. I was about to crack a joke about new decoration when he pulled me into his arms.

"I was so, _so _worried about you." he breathed, stroking my hair. "When I saw you – I mean, when I saw the story in the paper about what had happened to you…I didn't know what to do. They wouldn't let me see you in the hospital. You have no idea what I've been through this past month."

I closed my eyes, letting out a sigh of relief. I'd been fully prepared for him to do what everyone else had done: tell me he was glad I was okay and then go on about our normal routine. But _this_? This was too good to be true. If I hadn't had my arms around him, I'd have pinched myself.

"Well, here I am. Safe and sound." I assured him.

His grip on me tightened for a moment more before he let go of me. "Come, sit down." We lowered ourselves into the two La-Z-Boys, turning them so that we could face each other. "I've heard some rumors…"

I groaned. "What did you hear? Camille better not have said _I _tried to kill myself this time."

"No, no. Nothing like that." he assured me. "I heard that you can't remember what happened to you."

I nodded, looking at the ground. "Yeah, that's true."

"You can't remember _anything_?"

"Not a thing." I sighed. "And every time I feel like I'm on the verge of getting a memory back, it disappears again. You have no idea how frustrating it is."

When he didn't say anything immediately, I looked up at him. He was studying me, his gaze focused and calculating. I was confused. Did he not believe me? But I didn't have long to think about it because he sighed and said, "Well, what do you think we should start with?"

My mouth fell open as I was stunned. "_You're _asking _me _what we should do?"

He laughed, his eyes deep and warm. "Yes, Rose. I'd like to know what you think is best for you."

"Uh, I don't know. What do you suggest we do?"

"Well," he began, "there are a few different things we could try…"

A memory suddenly engulfed me, one that felt like it had happened years ago.

"_When is that dinner with your parents that you're supposed to be at?" "Anthony" asked me as we walked along the beach._

_I sighed, not wanting to think about it. "At seven tonight."_

"_That gives us…" He looked at his watch. "About three hours."_

_I kicked at a seashell, missing horribly, but he didn't notice. "So what do you want to do?"_

_Without a word, he wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting me off the ground. He pulled me close to him, never letting my feet touch the sand. As he brought his lips to mine, I wrapped my arms around his neck._

_His tongue snaked out and stroked my bottom lip. I knew exactly what he wanted. I opened my mouth just a little, allowing his tongue to find mine. When they connected, I felt goose bumps emerge all over my skin. I ran a hand through his hair, not really noticing that he was slowly lowering me to the ground._

_He broke away from me when my feet touched the ground. "Well," he said, trying to catch his breath, "there are a few different things we could try…"_

"Rose?"

I jumped, realizing that Dimitri had been talking the whole time and I hadn't heard a word he said. "Huh? What?"

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. "Why don't you go lie down on the couch? I have a technique I want to try."

I got up and walked over to the couch, still dazed from the memory that had consumed me. For a moment, I thought of other "techniques", ones that didn't involve clothing. I felt a blush creeping up on my cheeks and quickly tried to think of something, _anything _that would make it go away.

Dimitri pulled his chair closer to the couch as I lay down. "Close your eyes." he ordered and I did as he said. "Take some deep breaths and try to relax."

I heard the shuffling of papers as I breathed in. I wondered if he'd thought of this before our session started or not.

"Now, I want you to tell me what happened when you left the coffee shop that day."

I thought back, trying to remember the details. "After I said goodbye to you, I walked out of the coffee shop. I was tired, so I was walking quickly down the sidewalk on 2nd street." This was where things got fuzzy. "I had my phone out, but I can't remember why."

One of the first things I'd done when I got home from the hospital was check my phone, hoping to find a clue as to why I'd had my phone out. I was disappointed, however, to find that my inbox, outbox, and call log had been deleted.

"Think harder. Were you expecting anyone to call you? To text?" Dimitri asked.

In my memory, I could see my phone in my hands, but I couldn't remember what had been on the screen. I thought harder, pushing against the wall that was keeping me from my memories. It wasn't working. I squeezed my eyes shut, telling myself that I could do this.

"Hmm. Okay, never mind. Why don't you – "

"Wait." I interrupted, heart racing. "I remember. I got a text message…from you."

There was a brief moment of silence before he said, "Go on. It'll be easier for you to remember if you keep talking."

I wanted to nod, but it was hard to on this couch. "You suggested meeting up again. I…was happy about that. I'd had a good time and didn't think meeting up again sounded like a bad idea. I wasn't walking as fast anymore so that I could text you back without running into anything.

"I started writing and…and…" I let out a cry of frustration. "I can't remember."

"Take a deep breath and try again." Dimitri told me, voice soft.

I did as he said, but it was no use. The wall wouldn't budge for me anymore. I told him as much.

"Okay, I have something else I think might help you remember. The hospital told you what injuries you'd sustained, right?" I nodded. "Think about those injuries. Try to imagine what caused them, how they felt when you got them. You can start with whatever you want. Take your time, we're not in a hurry."

I decided to start with my ribs. In order to get that kind of injury, I'd had to have fallen at just the right angle and with a lot of force. Thinking of that got me nowhere, so I thought of other ways I might had broken my ribs. I'd had to have gotten hit pretty hard, something that would cause tremendous pain. Suddenly, I was ripped away from Dimitri's office and into my mind.

I was trying to see, but everything was a swirl of black and white.

"It-It's dark. _Really _dark. There are stars in my eyes."

I looked to my right. Nothing but blackness. I looked to my left. Nothing.

"I can't see – wait."

There. I couldn't see anything straight ahead of me, but I _could _see out of my peripheral vision. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a person's shadow.

"There's someone there." I whispered before I was yanked out of the memory. I opened my eyes, gasping for breath.

"Rose, are you alright?" Dimitri asked, voice full of concern. He lay his hand on my arm.

I let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, I'm okay." I didn't know why I'd been so out of breath when I came out of the memory. My best guess was that I'd been holding my breath and hadn't realized it. "Let's go again."

Dimitri now stood over me, looking in my eyes. "I don't think so. We're making good progress – especially for our first session trying this." I don't think he realized what he was doing when he cupped the left side of my face in his hand. "You've done well."

I shook my head, causing him to take his hand away. "No. You told me earlier that you wanted to know what I wanted to try. I want to try this." He looked like he was about to protest, so I continued, "We're making _good _progress now. If I continue, we could make _great _progress."

He sighed and sat back down. "If that's really what you want. Be careful, Roza."

I took a deep breath, trying to relax. Okay, I needed a new starting point, another injury to think about. I moved my hands without thinking about it. It was then that I decided to think about my broken finger. Knowing my luck, I'd probably just fallen down on top of it or something dumb like that. I went through the motions I had when thinking about my ribs, but nothing was coming to me.

Just when I thought I wasn't going to get anywhere with this, another scene came rushing at me.

"I'm on the ground. It's rough and uneven. I'm in pain…so much pain."

Dimitri's voice was soft and low when he spoke. "Can you tell where you are?"

"No. I-I can't focus on anything but the pain. I'm trying to block it out so I can…I can…" I was trying to do something, but I couldn't remember what. It was as if I was seeing everything in slow motion and it was taking forever for me to do whatever it was I was doing again. "Crawl. I'm trying to crawl."

My head throbbed from trying so hard to remember all this, but I wasn't about to stop. I needed to try and remember everything I could. With one more hard push, the wall that forced this memory from my mind was blown away and I was sucked into my own memory.

"I can see the street. There's a streetlight across it. I'm trying – "

_Snap!_

Pain. The world was nothing but pain. Endless, agonizing, deep-seated pain.

"Rose!"

_My finger's not supposed to bend like that…_

"Roza, _please_!"

I was ripped out of the memory. Dimitri was standing over me, shaking me by my shoulders. My mouth was dry and my throat hurt. Without thinking, I sprang up, wrapping my arms around him. To my surprise, he immediately wrapped his arms around me, too.

He sat down, pulling me into his lap. I tucked my head into the spot between his shoulder and neck. When I whimpered, he stoked my hair, slowly rocking me back and forth. "Shush, shush. It's okay now. You're okay, I've got you." he murmured.

I felt the overwhelming need to cry, but repressed it. "I'm scared." I whispered, tightening my grip on him.

"Why?"

I gulped. "Because I don't think what happened to me was an accident anymore. There was someone there, in my memories. I think they _meant _to hurt me."

Dimitri pulled away from me, but he didn't go far. Our faces were only inches apart. He looked straight into my eyes and, in a low growl, said, "I won't let _anyone _hurt you again."

Hearing the way he said that, seeing the way he was looking at me right then…I got the answer I'd been wondering about since the first day of school. He loved me.

The world around us disappeared as we stared at each other. I could feel his muscles tensing under my grip, saw his chest stop moving with the breath he was holding. I knew it was now or never. I didn't think before I acted, giving in to my impulse.

He must have seen it coming because he moved forward the same time I did. Our lips crashed together, sending a rush of heat throughout my body. His hand came up, cupping the side of my face. It was the gentlest kiss I'd ever had, but it was also the most passionate.

"Oh, Roza." he sighed, in between kisses.

I was vaguely aware of the bell that ended fourth period and began fifth sounding off, but I didn't really care at that moment. We kissed and kissed, running our hands up and down each other's bodies. I felt his arms, his chest, his shoulders…

I pulled away from him, gasping for air. The whole time we'd been kissing, I could only think the same sentence over and over again. I didn't give myself time to think about what might happen next; I just acted. "I love you." I whispered.

My heart began to pound when he didn't say anything at first. Had I read too much into all of this? I'd thought for sure that he'd felt the same way about me. How could I have been so stupid?

But all my doubts melted away when he cupped my face in both hands and said, "I love you, too, Roza." He leaned in and kissed me again, this time much softer than before.

There was a knock at the door. Dimitri and I immediately broke apart, Dimitri going for the chair in front of the couch and me laying back down. He quietly cleared his throat and asked, "Yes?"

"Is everything okay in there? I thought I heard a scream earlier, but didn't know if I should interrupt." Mrs. Stepp said through the door.

_Scream?_ I worded to Dimitri, confused. He held up his hand, signaling that I should stay quiet. He swiftly rose out of his chair and opened the door. The two of them spoke so low that I couldn't hear a word of what they were saying.

He apparently appeased Mrs. Stepp, closing the door as she walked away. He turned to me. "You should get to class before one or both of us get in trouble. I wasn't even supposed to keep you throughout fourth period."

I nodded, not really knowing what to say. He'd been making out with me a couple of minutes ago and now he was all business. I got up and walked to the door, mumbling a quick goodbye.

So I was surprised when he grabbed my hand and pulled me back to him. He kissed me, brushing my hair behind my ear. "When can I see you?" he asked when we broke apart. "Outside of school?"

"I don't know. I'm kind of under house arrest after the incident. My mom's been freaking out."

His face turned hard. "Well, I don't blame her, especially after what just happened."

"Yeah, what was that Mrs. Stepp was saying about a scream?" I asked.

"You don't know?" He was looking at me as if I'd just sprouted wings. "Rose, you were screaming at the top of your lungs earlier. You scared the hell out of me."

Oh, so that was why my throat hurt. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize – "

He put a finger up to my lips. "There's no need to apologize. But I do want to hear why exactly you screamed." His eyes glanced toward the clock over his desk. "Look, I don't mean to be rude, but you really have to go now. Text me when you get home?"

I nodded. "Sure." I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you later, comrade."

**A lot of you were asking for more Dimitri, so I hope this was enough for you :) Trust me, there will be a lot more of him as the story continues. Make sure to leave me a review, letting me know if there's anything else you'd like to see in the story.**

**I have two questions I'd like you guys to leave me an answer to. One might affect the plot of the story, but the other is just because I'm curious.**

**1. Who do you think attacked Rose in the last chapter?**

**2. What has been your favorite Rose/Dimitri scene in this story so far?**

**Thanks in advance for your support and feedback!**


	6. Making Up for Lost Time

**Oh wow! I didn't expect to get that many awesome reviews! Thanks, guys. To the guest who was talking about Lissa's powers and everything: all of the characters are human in my story. Lissa does have powers, but they aren't the same as her powers in VA. She's able to manipulate energy, but it takes a tremendous amount of her own energy to do so. That's why she's always tired and looking bad when she uses it. The good news is that she can take energy from Rose or – in a pinch, because she doesn't like taking energy from people who haven't given her permission – from other people. Sorry for not making that more clear.**

**Thanks to everyone who answered my two questions! I love hearing your theories on who attacked Rose, but I especially love hearing about your favorite Dimitri/Rose moments. :)**

I was in strong arms. They were cradling me like a baby, but I didn't care how they carried me. I just wanted – no, _needed _out of here.

I opened my eyes, but it was hard to see anything through the red and blue lights that kept flashing around. I closed my eyes again, feeling my cell phone start to slip through my fingers and involuntarily tightening my grip on it.

"It's okay, Rose. Let go."

I wasn't able to speak, so I didn't protest as the phone disappeared from my grasp. I slit open my eyes again when we started moving. That wasn't such a good idea. The world turned on its side, disorienting me, especially with those red and blue lights. My stomach flipped and I was worried that I would throw up.

I got a grip on the nausea and looked up into my savior's arms, thankful. I wanted to cry, but I didn't have the energy. Deep, dark brown eyes looked down into mine, eyes that I would know anywhere. I took in his long brown hair as the realization of who had saved me dawned on me.

_I hoped you would come, _I thought.

I felt my phone getting slipped into my pocket right before we made it to the end of the alleyway. As the lights got brighter, I heard more and more voices, but I never got to see who they belonged to.

The darkness took me away.

I sat up in bed, freezing despite the sweat that had drenched me. My head was pounding and my throat was on fire. I looked at my alarm clock, sighing when I realized that it was almost time to get up and get ready for school.

I got up and went to the bathroom, splashing cold water from the sink on my face. As I did, red and blue lights flashed before my eyes. I stopped moving and looked at my reflection in the mirror, letting the details of the dream come back to my mind. I went back to my room and grabbed my phone without realizing it.

_Why didn't you tell me?_ I sent to Dimitri, not bothering to explain what I was talking about. Even though I knew it was irrational, I felt hurt. I pulled my phone off the charger, taking it with me back to bed. I grabbed the journal Dimitri had given me a couple of days ago – he wanted me to write down everything I remembered right after it happened – and began jotting down the details of the dream.

To my surprise, he messaged me back a few minutes later. _You needed to remember on your own. _Of course he already knew what I was talking about.

I knew he was right. I _did _need to remember that on my own. But that didn't mean I was thinking with a level head. _Please stop with the Zen life lessons crap. I can't believe you didn't tell me._

I thought back on the dream as I waited for his reply and got ready for school. Dimitri had been the one to find me after my ordeal. I wondered if there was anything else he was keeping from, like if he knew part of what had happened to me. My phone buzzed.

_We'll talk later._

I sighed, but, again, he was right. This wasn't a discussion that needed to be had over the phone.

About an hour later, I yelled a goodbye to my mom and started to slip out the door. Right before it closed behind me, I heard her yell back.

"What?" I asked, stepping back into the house.

She made her way down the living room stairs. "Tell Mr. Belikov thank you for me when you do." I must have had a look on my face that told her I had no idea what the hell she was talking about, because she elaborated. "You'll know what I'm talking about when you get to school."

"Uh, okay…" I replied, wondering what was going on. My mother was really good at scheming; I guess that's where I got it from. "I'll see you later, Mom. Love you."

I started to step outside again, but I stopped when I caught the look on her face. She was looking at me, well, like I was the most beautiful thing in the world. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

She shook her head, her eyes bright and shiny from unshed tears. "I'm just so glad you're okay."

I immediately dropped my books and went to my mom, not bothering to shut the door. She took me into her arms, resting her head on my shoulder because I was taller than her. "I'm sorry I've been so…protective lately, not letting you go out with your friends. I just want to keep you safe."

"Don't apologize for taking care of me." I told her, pulling out of her embrace.

She smiled, walking me to the door. "Okay, sweetie. Now, get to school before you end up late."

We said goodbye one last time before I headed out. I knew my mom was a ball of nerves this morning. I'd finally talked her into letting me walk to school, like I used to. If all turned out well, she'd let me walk to and from school, as long as I had Lissa or my other friends with me.

It was Friday morning, a week since I'd returned to school. I'd told my mom – per Dimitri's request – about what I'd remembered about my incident. She'd called the police and set up a time for us to talk to them, which had happened yesterday. I hadn't been able to remember anything about what my attacker looked like, so there wasn't much they could do right then. They did tell me that if I remembered anything about who hurt me, I needed to report it. The sooner I got that information to them, the better.

Dimitri and I had daily sessions, but we'd agreed that we would only try to find out what happened to me every other day. I didn't think I could handle trying to remember the incident every single day – hell, just trying to remember every other day was killing me – and Dimitri'd told me that he thought I was right. So, on Tuesday and Thursday, we talked about my recovery instead.

We'd had a little trouble with my teachers when we first asked Fink if we could have daily sessions, but they'd all gotten on board when I turned in half the work I'd missed the past month. I hated homework, but I tried to get it done as fast as possible so I could get caught up. I think my teachers were actually impressed with how dedicated I was to getting my work done.

As I made it to the school, I saw Lissa and Christian waiting right outside the entrance. They were holding hands, staring into each other's eyes as if they were the only two people on the planet. I sighed, wishing that I could do that in public with Dimitri.

"Hey, guys." I said, making my way up to them. I turned to Christian. "Cut it out, it's my turn with Lissa."

He shook his head. "Is there something I need to know about?" he asked, looking back and forth between us. "You know, I never thought about it before, but you two _are _awful close…"

Lissa and I burst out laughing. "Incorporating me into your fantasies, eh, Christian?" I joked.

"You wish."

Lissa grabbed my left arm and his right, dragging us into the school. "Alright, enough, you two. Let's go get breakfast."

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head. "I can't. I have to go see Mr. Belikov." I'd been working on making sure I didn't call him Dimitri around them.

Lissa's face fell. "You've been seeing him a lot lately."

"Have I?" I asked, my heart beating harder. Dimitri and I were playing with fire, spending so much time together. I did my best to mask my face. "I haven't really noticed. I guess I've just been too busy trying to remember…_things_."

I lowered my voice on the last word, hoping no one heard. I'd told my friends about everything I'd remembered, making them swear not to tell anyone. When I said I was trying to remember "things", I really meant that I was trying to remember details about who'd attacked me.

They both nodded, looking around. I knew they were also making sure no one heard me. I continued, "That's why I'm heading to his office this morning. I had a dream last night that I think had something to do with the incident, so I want to tell him about it while it's still fresh in my mind." That was technically true.

"Okay," Lissa nodded. "Meet me after third period?"

I agreed and we went our separate ways, with them heading to the cafeteria.

I'd been to Dimitri's office so often that Mrs. Stepp didn't have to ask me what I needed anymore. As I stepped into her office now, she looked up and said, "He's back there. I don't think anyone is with him, but you might want to knock before trying to go in."

I nodded my thanks and headed toward his office. I went to knock on his door before letting myself in when I heard voices on the other end of the door. I stood there, trying to hear what was being said.

"You have no idea what you're getting into." a female voice laughed.

I tried to hear Dimitri's response, but his voice was too deep and muffled through the door. I leaned forward, trying to hear them better, when someone cleared their throat behind me.

I whipped around, startled, to find Fink standing behind me, a small smile on his lips. "May I ask what it is you're doing, Miss Hathaway?"

"Oh, uh, yeah." I said, trying to buy time. I said the first thing that came to my mind. "I was just trying to figure out what type of wood this is." I touched Dimitri's office door. "I was thinking mahogany, but I'm not sure."

"And why were you doing that?"

I tried to think quick on my toes, which was hard with him staring at me like he was. "I, uh…was thinking about soundproofing my room. This door keeps sound from getting out pretty well."

He chuckled. "That it does. If someone wanted to hear what was being said in that room, they'd have to get pretty close to the door, don't you think?"

_Busted. _"Uh, well, you see…"

"Don't bother, Rose. Why don't you have a seat and wait your turn?" He gestured to the couches before turning to leave. I watched him as he went, taking in his appearance. He was big, but not in a tall sense. To me, he looked a little like a blueberry. He was balding on the top of his head and his face tended to turn red a lot, especially his nose. Today he was wearing a gray tweed suit with a black tie and shoes. He waddled a little when he walked.

I went to take a seat when Fink suddenly turned back around. "You were very close. It's red oak." With that, he left.

I sat there for only a minute before Dimitri's door opened. Ms. Amos – the teacher who had made sure I was okay in the hallway when I remembered Mason's death – stepped out, giving me a smile when she saw me. Her short blonde hair was curly today, making it look even shorter. She was wearing gold eye shadow that looked really good over her blue eyes. She was wearing straight black pants – she'd had to have ironed them to get them _that _straight – and a light yellow blouse. She had heels on, the same color as her top.

"You can go in, now, Rose." she told me. I decided that I like Ms. Amos. I hadn't known her very long – and I rarely ever saw her – but she seemed really nice.

"Thanks." I said, standing up. I wondered what she was talking about when she told Dimitri he didn't know what he was getting into, but didn't say anything. I mean, _hello_, Fink had already caught me snooping; I didn't need anyone else knowing I'd been eavesdropping, not even Dimitri. "I like your shoes." I added, smiling at her.

"Thank you. I got them at that little boutique on 2nd – " She stopped, apparently realizing what she was saying. "Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking…"

I shook my head. "No, it's alright. I like that store." I did. I'd gotten a bag there once that I loved, even though it never left my closet.

She hesitated, not knowing what to say. That boutique was on the same street where I'd been attacked. No one knew _exactly _where I'd been when I had my "accident" – that was still what everyone else was calling it – but they all knew it happened on 2nd Street.

"Well, I'll see you later." I said, needing to fill in the awkward silence.

She nodded. "Yes, see you later."

She left as I knocked on Dimitri's door before opening it. He was standing in front of his filing cabinet, feeding his fish when I walked in.

"Do you think I'd look good with short hair?" I asked, shutting the door and sitting down in one of the chairs.

He finished feeding his fish and put the food down next to the bowl. "I already told you," he laughed, turning around. "I think anything would look good on you, even short hair."

I smiled, thinking back to the night he'd first said that to me, our last night on the Shore. "Should I get it cut?"

He came around his desk, grabbing my hand and pulling me up so that I was standing. He ran one of his hands through my hair before giving me a kiss. When he pulled back, he looked at my hair, his face thoughtful. "No, don't cut it. I like your hair long."

I thought that was what he'd say. I considered teasing him, telling him I was going to cut it just because he said he liked it long, but then I remembered why I was here. I pulled away – well, as far as I could, anyway, with the chair behind me – and glared at him. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, repeating what I'd texted him earlier.

He sighed and sat down, gesturing to the chair behind me. When I didn't sit, he went on. "I already told you. You needed to remember on your own."

I wanted to be mad at him, but my curiosity got the better of me. "How?" I asked, finally sitting down. "How did you find me?"

"You remember that app we both got on the Shore? The one that allowed us to track each other?" he asked, getting up and grabbing his cell phone out of a desk drawer. I nodded as he sat back down and began scrolling through his phone. "I got a text message from you, one that scared me half to death. Do you remember?"

I started to shake my head, but stopped, thinking about it. It seemed like the more details I had, the more I could remember. An image flashed through my mind.

I held my cell phone in my right hand, which was sticky with blood. _Message sent _briefly appeared on the screen before showing which message had been sent. _Yeah, I'd like tHELP ALLEY HURT SOS SOS SOS_…

I rubbed my temples, my head throbbing. "Yeah. I remember now." I winced, wondering what I'd feel if Dimitri had sent something like that to me.

"I freaked out. I started driving around the streets near your house, checking every alleyway I came across. That's when I remembered the app. I opened it, clicked on your number, and it told me where you were. I sped all the way over there, parking right in front of the alley. When I saw you…" He stopped, gulping.

I put my hand on his knee. "It's okay. You don't have to go into it. I understand."

He leaned forward, shaking his head and taking my hand in his. "Oh, but I do. You aren't the only one who needs to talk every now and then."

I thought about that. I'd always seen Dimitri as a kind of mentor, even when he was kissing me. It had never occurred to me before that _he_ might need _my _help sometimes.

"I thought you were dead. I ran to your side, calling 911 as I did. I was so scared that I didn't even answer all their questions. I told them where we were, told them to hurry, and hung up. I knew I was right in telling them to hurry when I rolled you over. You were barely breathing, wheezing as you did.

"I stayed with you while I waited for the ambulance to show up. The cops showed up, too, so I deleted everything in your phone just in case they checked it. I told them that I'd been driving down 2nd Street when I saw you laying in the alley and they believed me." he finished.

I stared at him, giving myself a minute before trying to talk so I could keep the emotion out of my voice. "I'm sorry I worried you."

He shook his head, taking both my hands in his. "You did way more than that, but don't be sorry. I'm glad you got that message to me. If you hadn't…" He let his words trail off, not needing to say it. If I hadn't have messaged him, I'd be dead right now.

"Well, I'm glad that I finally know who to thank for saving my life. So, thank you."

He planted a kiss on my forehead. "You're more than welcome, Roza, but it wasn't just me. I was worried about you, yes, but I was also in awe. You'd taken so much damage, and yet you were able to make it that far to the road. I saw the blood trail. I know you tried to crawl away. After Monday's session, I figured that's how you broke your finger."

I nodded, remembering. "I didn't think I could actually make it to the road, but I knew I had to try. It was hard for me to even move. I couldn't think straight after – "

I stopped, a memory rushing forward. There was a hand under my left arm, another one in my hair. I heard a loud _thunk! _before tasting metal. I shuddered.

"What is it? What did you remember?" Dimitri asked.

Before I could answer, the bell rang. I groaned. "I'll have to tell you later. If I'm late, I'll get detention."

"I'll give you a pass."

"No," I said, grabbing my books from the floor. "We've already been spending a lot of time together. I don't want to start looking suspicious."

He looked like he was going to protest, but stopped, thinking about it. "Okay. Oh, I changed your appointment from fourth period to during lunch. You're doing a lab that you can't miss today in that class. I thought we could have lunch in here while we talked."

I told him that that sounded good to me and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before saying goodbye.

[BREAK]

"Ugh, this is _so _not cool with me." Lissa was saying after school. "First Mr. Belikov steals you away this morning, then he takes you away at lunch, too. _Now_, you tell me he's suggested you take self-defense after school, taking away our after school time, too. I'm starting to think he doesn't like us hanging out."

I laughed. Dimitri'd been suggesting I take a self-defense class after school ever since we figured out someone had beat me nearly to death. I kept telling him that the only place around here that offered those kinds of classes was an hour away, but he never listened. He'd called my mom yesterday evening and talked it over with her. She thought it was a good idea, but she wouldn't be able to take me because of her job. Luckily, Dimitri and I had been able to kill two birds with one stone when he said he could take me and my mom accepted.

That was the only thing my friends didn't know about. I'd told them that my mom had arranged transportation with the school, which they didn't question. I kept telling myself that I'd tell Lissa about Dimitri and I – and all the confusion that went with our relationship, like him actually being my summer fling – soon. I just hadn't found the right time to do it yet.

"I know. I brought it up with my mom and she said you can spend the night this weekend, if you want." I told her.

"Hey!" Eddie exclaimed. "What about the rest of us? I've seen you, what, four times since you got out of the hospital?"

I looked over, shocked at Eddie's reaction. Mia seconded his opinion. "He's right, Rose. We've barely been able to see you. We miss you."

I felt horrible hearing them say that, but I realized they were right. I'd been so consumed with my memories and Dimitri that I'd been ignoring my friends without meaning to. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. I didn't mean to ignore you guys. I've just…been busy trying to deal with all the crap that's happened to me. I know that's no excuse, but it's true. How about I see if we can all hang out tomorrow? I think I can talk my mom into it, as long as we all stay together."

"Sure." Christian shrugged. "Tell your mom we'd be happy to babysit you."

I glared at him. "I may feel bad about not spending time with you guys, but that doesn't mean I won't punch you."

They all laughed. "At least we know you haven't changed." Christian murmured. When Lissa smacked him on the arm, he added, "Okay, I guess I kind of missed you, too."

I shook my head, laughing. "Well, I gotta go, guys. I'll call you all tonight and let you know what my mom says."

They all told me goodbye and stayed in the parking lot, talking as I left. I actually felt bad about leaving them right then to meet Dimitri. I told myself that I'd make more of an effort to hang out with them from then on.

I walked along the sidewalk, counting the steps it took me to reach each line in the pavement. I was starting to zone out when I heard footsteps behind me. My pulse quickened and I resisted the urge to turn around. Had the person who hurt me before come back to finish the job? I suddenly regretted walking home on my own.

Luckily, my house wasn't that far. I quickened my pace, but not by too much so I didn't alert them to the fact that I knew they were there. As I went around a corner, I glanced behind me using only my eyes. Sure enough, there was someone there, but I could only see the outline of their body out of the corner of my eye.

I could see my house; I'd be there in less than a minute. I briskly walked down the pathway in my yard that led to the front door. Once I was at the door, I took the chance to look down the road, seeing if the person was still there.

But no one was. I breathed a sigh of relief as I turned my key in the lock and opened the door. Whoever was behind me must've just been someone else walking home. Just to be safe, though, I locked the door when I closed it.

I went up to my bedroom and changed into some more comfortable clothes, like Dimitri had suggested I do during our session at lunch. I settled on a pair of black sweats and a loose blue t-shirt, thinking they'd give me a lot of mobility. I sent a message to Dimitri, letting him know that I was ready when he was. While I waited for him, I thought back to our conversation during lunch.

"There were _two _of them?" Dimitri asked, after I'd told him what I'd remembered that morning.

I nodded. "Yeah. One held me up while the other…hit me with something. In the head."

He'd clenched his fists. When he spoke, his voice was low and lethal. "This is why we need to get you into classes: so you can learn to defend yourself. If they come back and I'm not there…" His words trailed off as he breathed out hard. "Well, at least that's not a problem anymore."

"Huh?" I asked, confused. "Why isn't it a problem?"

He gave me a mischievous smile. "I signed you up for a self-defense class this morning."

"_What_?!" I hissed, frustrated.

"You start today, after school."

"There's one small problem with that plan, comrade. How am I going to get there?" _Take that, _I thought. _You're plan just backfired._

Another wide grin lit up his face. "I'm going to drive you there."

Suddenly, I wasn't so angry with him anymore. "You are? Oh, wait, that actually makes a lot of sense. _That's _why my mom wanted me to thank you. But how did you get her to agree to it?"

"It wasn't hard." he explained. "Your mom thought it was a good idea for you to take self-defense, she just didn't know how she was going to get you there. I brought up a couple of different ideas – which she shot down, like I thought she would – and finally pretended to be exasperated as I offered to take you. She didn't want to impose, but finally accepted when I told her she could pay me. She wouldn't do it unless I got some sort of compensation."

I was amazed at how he went about all of this. I had a hard time talking my mom into letting me go to the fair when it was in town, let alone going an hour out of town, three days a week. I told him so, and from there, we talked about how we were going to meet up and what would happen. School let out at 3:30 and the class started at five, so that would give us just enough time to go home, change, and head out at four – the class was in Helena, an hour away. At six, when the class ended, we would go find somewhere to grab dinner – I was going to get to have dinner in public with Dimitri! – and then we would head home. He figured we'd be home by eight.

I snapped back to the present when my phone buzzed. I had a message from Dimitri. _I'm outside._

I got up and, at the last minute, decided to get the bag I'd bought from the boutique out from my closet. I grabbed my wallet from my book bag and a water bottle from the kitchen, stashing both in my purse, and headed outside, locking the door behind me.

Dimitri was smiling as I got in the car and I felt butterflies in my stomach. For once, it'd be just the two of us, outside of school and away from everyone who might know us if they saw us.

The entire way there, Dimitri drove with one hand on the wheel, his other hand holding mine. Every now and then, as we talked, he would lift my hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on my fingers. I couldn't help but smile the whole way there. Besides our loose, casual clothing, it felt like we were going on a date.

The gym turned out to be a two-story white building with tinted windows. It was huge. There were two gyms, a boxing ring, a pool, a track, weight rooms, and so much more. I followed Dimitri to the check-in desk in front of the entrance.

"Hello, welcome to Fuel Fitness. Would you be interested in taking a class today?" the woman at the desk said as we approached. She was a young woman, probably in her mid-twenties, with long blonde hair and brown eyes. She gave Dimitri a quick once-over, trying to be discreet. I felt a little uneasy.

It wasn't that I was worried Dimitri might be interested in her – he'd made it perfectly clear that he was only interested in me – but the fact that she looked like she was around his age. I wondered what she thought of me coming in here with Dimitri. Did she think I was his little sister? We both had brown hair, even though mine was darker, and we both had dark brown eyes. We could pass as siblings.

Dimitri gave her a small smile before saying, "Hello. Not today, thanks. I rented an exercise room online."

The woman looked over at me for a moment, but didn't really pay any attention to me. Something stirred in me when she dismissed me immediately. "Your name, please?"

"Dimitri Belikov." he answered.

I stared at him, shocked, as the woman turned to a computer and began typing. "I thought I _was _taking a course."

He smiled at me. "Just wait."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the woman glance at me. I mentally smirked. _That's right. I get to work out with the really hot guy. There will probably be a lot of touching going on, too. _As soon as I thought it, I wanted to take it back. That was jealousy talking and I had no reason to be jealous.

Before I could reply, the woman turned back to Dimitri. "You wanted room 2C, three times a week, for six weeks?"

"That's right."

The woman told Dimitri that his total was three hundred dollars. I'd already started opening my purse, but stopped when I heard how much it was. Dimitri handed the woman a card and she took it to the office behind the desk.

I turned to Dimitri. "_Three hundred dollars?!" _I whispered. "I can't let you spend that much money on me."

"Rose, your mom came by the office and gave me the money for your membership." he laughed. "Even if she didn't, it would be money well spent."

The blonde came back from the office and handed Dimitri his card back before telling us where the locker rooms were and handing Dimitri a brochure. He thanked her and led me down the hallway, towards the stairs. "What's that?" I pointed at the brochure.

"It basically tells us what we can and can't do with the memberships we have." he explained, handing it to me. From what I could tell, we could use any of the exercise equipment or machines we wanted. We were also allowed to use the track and the weight room.

We went straight up to room 2C. Dimitri helped me stretch before we began, even though we didn't do much. He started out by putting on gloves and having me punch them. We talked while we did this.

"So, if you already planned on renting this room, what was all of that about the times the class started and ended? Couldn't we just come here whenever we want?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Faster." That was directed at my punching. "No, you can only rent rooms for an hour a day. Five to six was the best time I could get."

"Oh, okay."

"Now, when I bring my legs up, I want you to kick them." he instructed.

I stopped punching. "Are you crazy? Don't you have any shin pads? I'll hurt you."

He chuckled. "You won't hurt me, Roza. Just do as I say."

For the next twenty minutes, we practiced like that. He was right, I didn't hurt him, mostly because I never made contact with his legs. Every time he brought up his leg, I kicked, but I was too slow. Before I could touch him, he'd either bring his hand down and block my kick or move out of the way altogether.

"Alright. I think that was enough for today. Good job." he said, taking the gloves off.

I sighed. "Please. You would've already had me unconscious if we'd been in a real fight."

He laughed. "I've been doing this a lot longer than you. And you have to start somewhere."

We went to the track and ran for thirty minutes after that. Dimitri never ran full speed so that I could stay next to him, which made me feel even weaker than I already did. He made me run a mile, testing my stamina. He was pleased that I could run a mile without stopping at a fairly fast pace. He gave me a few minutes break before making me do a couple of laps at a sprint.

"That's it for today." Dimitri announced when I finished my third lap at a sprint.

I was sticky and smelly from sweating so much. "Uh, is there a shower I can use?"

[BREAK]

Ten minutes later – after quick showers in the locker rooms – we were sitting in a booth in a tiny diner.

"So," I said while we waited for our food, "what made you want to be a counselor?"

Our hands were on top of the table, meeting in the middle. He rubbed my fingers with his as he spoke. "I always knew I wanted to help people, but I wasn't sure how for a long time. I had to take a psychology course as a part of my core classes in college and found myself interested in it. From there, it wasn't a hard decision to make. I decided I wanted to help kids instead of adults and here I am."

I'd been smiling, but immediately stopped when he said he wanted to help kids. "Oh. I see."

"Hey." he said, voice low. "What just happened? Did I say something wrong?"

I smiled at him again, but my heart wasn't in it. I hoped he didn't notice. "No, you didn't say anything wrong. I'm just tired, especially after all that exercise we did."

He didn't say anything for a moment, just sat there and studied me. I thought that he would catch on, somehow knowing what he'd done – he knew how to read me better than anyone. But, instead, he said, "Are you sure? I feel like something just happened here, but I…don't know what."

I opened my mouth to assure him that I was fine, but I never got the chance. His cell phone went off. He held up his finger and answered it. I sat there, telling myself to stop being a baby. I knew that he didn't think of me as a kid, but I couldn't help the sting I'd felt when he'd basically put me in the "kid" category.

"I understand. We're heading back now… Alright, bye." Dimitri said into his phone before shutting it. I looked at him, confused. "That was your mom. It looks like we'll be getting our food to go." He signaled the waitress – who, it turned out, was bringing our food to us right then – and told her to change our order to go.

I waited until we were back in the car to ask questions. "What's going on?"

He backed up, stopping when a little old woman started walking behind the car, oblivious. "The police called your mom just a couple of minutes ago. They found a shovel covered in blood in the woods."

"So?" I asked. "What does that have to do with me?"

Dimitri frowned, looking upset. "It's covered in _your _blood."

I didn't know what to say to that. Instead, I looked out my window, thinking about everything I'd remembered from that night. The only thing I could think of that might have involved a shovel was when I got hit in the head while being held up. I hadn't seen what they'd hit me with, so it could very well have been a shovel.

We sat the rest of the trip in silence. I knew Dimitri would've figured it out on his own and I really didn't feel like discussing it. And, yes, even though I hated to admit it, I was still feeling the sting of his "kid" remark.

We'd just hit the town limits when Dimitri said, "Oh, wait a minute."

"What?" I asked, feeling a little dazed. The sound of the car in motion had been starting to lull me to sleep because – I was telling the truth earlier – I really was tired from practice.

"Roza, you don't think I meant anything earlier when I said I wanted to help kids, right?"

I blushed, unable to stop myself, mostly because I was embarrassed. I was also amazed that he'd figured it out, almost an hour after it had happened. Thinking about it, though, it really shouldn't have surprised me. Not only was Dimitri smart, but he knew me, almost _too _well. "N-no. Of course not." I mumbled.

He licked his lips, tucking a piece of hair that had fallen in front of his face back behind his ear. It promptly fell back in his face. "You should know that I didn't mean anything by it. I don't see you as a kid, Rose. Not at _all_."

He glanced over at me, giving me a quick once-over that reminded me of the blonde at the gym. I knew the blush on my face was turning scarlet. Sure, we'd made out a few times since he started working at the school, but he hadn't even suggested that he wanted to do anything more. I let my hair fall down the side of my face, trying to hide my blush. "Oh?"

"I wouldn't be able to see you that way even if I tried. And, believe me, I've tried." he elaborated. "Especially not after that last night in Jersey."

I felt a rush of heat go through my body, similar to the feeling of when Lissa took some of my energy, but not quite the same. This wasn't coming from some outside source; this was all my body's doing. I remembered how it'd felt when he first glimpsed me without my shirt on, how I hadn't cared that we weren't in a relationship. I'd just wanted him.

I cleared my throat. "You didn't look too bad yourself that night, either, comrade."

He laughed, shaking his head, and a comfortable silence fell between us. As my house appeared down the road, I mentally kicked myself for being so dumb and wasting all that alone time I'd had with Dimitri being upset. As he parked on the curb down the street from my house, he sighed, as if he'd wished we had more time as well.

"You'll text me later, right? After you figure out what's happened?" he asked.

"I'll try. Lissa's coming over tonight, so I can't make any promises."

He nodded, needing no further explanation. He stared into my eyes and, for the life of me, I couldn't imagine what he was thinking. But I didn't need to imagine. "I wish I could kiss you."

I smiled. "I'm sorry, I know you can't help it. I'm just too irresistible."

I got a full grin from that one. "You don't know the half of it."

"Well, I should probably get going. If I don't text you tonight, I'll text you tomorrow, okay? Oh, and thanks for the lesson." I grabbed my purse and opened the door, but Dimitri put his hand on my arm, keeping me inside.

When I turned my head back towards him, I had to stifle a surprised shriek. Our faces were an inch apart. "You're welcome, Roza. Goodnight. I love you."

"I love you, too." I whispered, desperately wanting to close that inch of space between us and kiss him.

He chuckled, pulling away. "Who's irresistible now?"

I scowled, turning around and stepping out of the car. "I'll remember that, comrade."

I went to close the door, but he said, "Oh, and Rose?" When I looked back in, he smiled. "You look beautiful when you blush," he told me, keeping his voice low so no one would overhear.

The blush returned and I shut the door, waving to him as I made my way to the sidewalk. With one last glance at me, he put the car in drive and left. I watched him go. With a goofy smile on my face, I began walking towards my house.

I'd only passed one house – I had four more to go – when I heard footsteps behind me again. I tensed, thinking the worst, when I remembered what had happened earlier when I started to freak out. I took a deep breath, telling myself that it was probably just someone going for a walk.

I was in front of the second house I had to pass when I noticed the footsteps were getting faster. _No, no, no, _I thought. _This isn't happening. Not again. Why did Dimitri have to drop me off down here?_

As I made it to the third house, the footsteps got even quicker. Fear was now taking over my body, clouding my judgement. I whipped around as fast as I could, hoping I could get a clear view of whoever it was before turning around and going to my mom. To my terror, the person was right behind me.

"Hey, there, Rose." Mason said. "Miss me?"

**So, what do you think happened here? Is Mason really visiting Rose from behind the grave? Or is he – somehow – not dead at all? Let me know what you think in a review :)**


	7. Catastrophe

**All of the theories everyone has been coming up with are great :) AND…someone in the reviews section has a correct theory! But I'm not telling who, so you'll just have to keep reading to find out what's going on.**

"No," I whispered, backing up. "No, this isn't happening. You're supposed to be…to be…"

"Dead?" Mason supplied, with a smirk. "Some dead things don't _stay _dead."

I shook my head, telling myself that this wasn't real. It _couldn't _be real. Mason was dead. The only way he could've been in front of me was if…

Slowly, carefully, I reached out towards Mason. My hand went straight through him. "Whoa. Okay. So I'm seeing ghosts now. You _are _a ghost, right?"

"I don't know," he said, smirk still in place. "You tell me."

I grabbed my head, closing my eyes. "Oh my God, I'm insane. I have gone _totally _off the deep end." But when I opened my eyes…he wasn't there.

I was shaking. I took a deep breath, trying to get myself under control. "Get a grip, Rose. You don't have time to be crazy, you've got too much else on your plate right now."

"I disagree."

I whipped around. Mason was behind me now. "Please, just go away. You're not _real."_

He reached out and took my hand. To my surprise, I actually felt it. "If I wasn't real, I wouldn't be able to hold your hand right now, would I?"

Seeing him there in front of me, feeling his hand holding mine, something inside of me broke. I gave in to him, throwing my arms around his neck. He was warm, which I didn't expect. "How?" I cried, holding him close to me. "You know what? Never mind. I really don't care. God, Mason. I've missed you so much."

He pulled away, looking right into my eyes. "Could've fooled me."

"What?" How could he say something like that to me? He had no idea how hard his death had been on me!

"You've been so distracted lately that you haven't had any time for me." he whispered, looking sad.

I felt horrible. Maybe I hadn't been thinking of him every second of the day, but not a day went by that I didn't mourn him. "Well, yeah. I got _attacked_, Mason. I almost _died_! I've been trying to remember what happened to me so I can put whoever did that to me away."

The smirk returned, but it wasn't nice. "That's not the only thing you've been distracted with. Been spending a lot of time with that counselor, haven't you?"

I blanched. "Dimitri has nothing to do with this."

"_Dimitri_, huh? Yeah, there's no way you've been distracted by him. You're on a first name basis with him, after all." I hated the sarcastic tone of his voice.

"Look, if you came here just to give me hell about things you know nothing about, you can just leave."

He smiled, holding his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. I won't say another word about your boyfriend." I glared at him and he winked. "You know, if you really wanted me to leave, Rose, I wouldn't be here right now."

I tilted my head, confused. "What do you mean?"

He was starting to fade, growing translucent. "You know what I mean; you just haven't realized it yet." With that said, he disappeared.

"Mason!" I yelled. "Get your ass back here!"

"Rose?"

I looked over to see one of my neighbors, Mrs. Blanche, standing on her front porch. She was an older woman in her sixties, but she looked more like she was eighty. I'd gotten to know her a little over the years when I raked her yard or cleared snow from her driveway for her. Her husband left her five years ago, running off with another woman who'd gotten pregnant when he'd cheated on Mrs. Blanche. "Are you okay out there?"

She must have heard me yelling at Mason. I could only imagine what she thought right now. "Yes, mamn, I'm fine. I've got to head home now, but thanks for checking on me."

I ran off before she could say anything. I didn't like being rude to her – I liked Mrs. Blanche; she always gave me homemade cookies when I worked for her and made me feel at home – but I couldn't stick around. I ran until I was inside my house, finally stopping to lean against the door.

I closed my eyes. What had Mason meant when he said he'd be gone if I didn't want him there? Whatever he meant, though, he was wrong. I hadn't wanted him with me after he brought up Dimitri, but he hadn't disappeared. And why couldn't he just tell me how the hell he was here in the first place?

"Oh, you're home. I didn't hear you come in. Are you okay?"

I opened my eyes to find my mom coming down the stairs. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just tired." Couldn't I come up with a better excuse today? "What's all this talk about a shovel?"

My mom looked out the front window. "Where's Dimitri?"

"He went home." I told her. "Why?"

"Oh. I thought he'd want to discuss this with us. Oh well. Come on, we'll talk in the kitchen."

[BREAK]

It turned out that there was good and bad news about them finding the shovel.

A man who lived about five miles out of town had found the shovel in the back of his property. When he saw that it had blood all over it, he called the police, just in case it wasn't animal blood. They picked it up and sent it to a lab, which did a quick test to tell them what kind of blood it was – animal or human – and what blood type if it was human.

When it came back human, the police scoured their open cases to find victims they'd found with the same blood type. Apparently, there were only two matches, so it was fairly easy to find out who the blood belonged to.

The good news about them finding the shovel was that they found fingerprints on it. The bad news was that they couldn't find a match in their database, which meant my attackers didn't have a criminal history. Basically, we'd found a new clue, but it got us nowhere.

Lissa came over later that night. Desperate to forget everything that had happened and just have a normal night with my best friend, I made my mom take us to the store so we could get junk food and magazines. I also talked her into letting us order a movie on Pay-Per-View.

I smiled the whole night, loving that I could just relax and not worry about anything. Sure, I loved being with Dimitri, but there was something about hanging out with my best friend – just us girls – that had me forgetting all the horrible – and disturbing, like seeing Mason – things that had happened to me the past couple of months.

We finally crawled in bed around three in the morning. I was exhausted and would've fallen asleep the moment my head hit my pillow, but Lissa had other plans.

"So, you really like Mr. Belikov, huh?" she asked.

My eyes snapped open. "What?"

She laughed. "It's just that you've been spending a lot of time with him, trying to get your memory back and all. I know you, Rose. If you didn't like him, you wouldn't be seeing him so often."

I gulped, not feeling relieved at all. Deep down, I kind of wished that Lissa had figured it out, that way I wouldn't have to tell her. But, of course, that didn't happen. "Yeah, well…uh…" I had half a mind to back out, forget about this entire discussion. But I knew I couldn't. I'd promised myself earlier that I would tell her tonight, and that was what I was going to do. Dimitri wouldn't like it, but I could deal with him. I trusted Lissa; I knew she wouldn't tell anyone, especially if I'd get in trouble if she did. "Liss, there's something I need to tell you."

She sat up on the other end of my bed to look at me. We'd slept like this since we were in kindergarten, me on one end and Liss on the other. It was easier to sleep like this at her house because her bed was bigger than mine. In my bed, we were squished together, but I really didn't mind and I knew she didn't, either. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. I'm okay, if that's what you're worried about." I couldn't look at her face. My heart felt like it'd dropped in my stomach. Even though I knew she'd keep my secret, I had no idea how she would react to the news. "About Dimitri and I…"

"Dimitri?" she gasped. "You call him by his first name?"

"Uh…"

She threw her legs over the side of my bed, getting up and heading to the bathroom. "You know, there are a lot of girls at school who envy you. I'll admit it, that man is beyond hot. There're a lot of girls who have a crush on him."

I smiled. "Yeah, I know."

She came back out of the bathroom, rubbing lotion in her hands. "What was that?"

"Liss –"

"And what ever happened with Anthony? Have you heard from him?" she interrupted, sitting back down on the bed beside me. We were both sitting Indian-style now, our knees touching. "Cause you really seemed into him."

I put a hand on her knee. "I really need you to stop talking and listen to me for a minute."

"Sure, go ahead."

Again, I couldn't look at her face. I put my hands back in my lap, fiddling with my fingers. "You see, the reason why I call him Dimitri is because…well, we're sort of…together." I closed my eyes, bracing for impact.

I heard her sigh. "Finally! I was wondering when you were going to tell me."

My head snapped up in surprise. "You knew?"

"Duh." She shook her head, a smile on her face. "I didn't know for sure, but I had an idea. The first week of school, like I told you before, I kept feeling something pass between the two of you. The day you had your accident, I felt your emotions before we left school. Don't look at me like that, I wasn't trying to. Your emotions were just too strong. I couldn't block them out. I knew that you were going to see, uh, Dimitri, but I didn't think it was him at first. I thought that maybe you'd been talking to Anthony or something.

"But then I came over and I saw you getting ready for your 'session'. You were getting all dressed up and I thought it was weird. Who gets dressed up for counseling? That's what made me bring you and Dimitri up. I thought I'd just wait and observe the two of you, but I never got the chance. It wasn't until the day you got back to school that I knew." she concluded.

I shook my head in disbelief. "How?"

She laughed. "Come on! Give me some credit. You were bouncing up and down like a school girl at lunch, before your first session with Dimitri since you got back. When I put my hand on you to stop you, all of your emotions just ran into me. Seriously, they _bombarded _me. When looking at both that and the fact that you two spend so much time together, I knew. I was just wondering when you were going to tell me."

I smacked her lightly on the arm, breathing out a sigh of relief. "You could have told me you knew. I've been freaking out all night, wondering how you'd take the news!"

"I do have a question, though. Well, a couple of questions. How did this happen?"

I explained everything to her, starting with how Dimitri and I had hung out all summer and how he'd told me his name was Anthony. For another hour, we sat there as I explained everything to her. By the time I was done, we were laying down again, nearly asleep.

Lissa turned on her side to face me, throwing an arm around me. "I'm so happy for you, Rose. At least something good came from all of this…"

With that, we fell asleep.

[BREAK]

I spent all day Saturday with my friends. First, we went to a park, just to hang out and catch up. I wanted to know everything they'd done during the month I was gone, and they wanted to know everything I'd remembered about my accident. I told them, even including the part about Dimitri finding me. The police knew that Dimitri had found me because he was the one who brought me to the ambulance, but no one else knew, other than my parents.

After that, we went to Christian's house – his aunt Tasha had to work, so we had the house to ourselves. We sat around playing board games and watching movies, with me teasing Christian and Lissa about the safety of where I sat. Hey, I didn't want all their love sweat on me. Who knew where those two had done it?

As the sun started to sink below the horizon, I woke up. I hadn't meant to go to sleep, but when you're lounging on a soft couch, watching movies with the lights off, it's pretty easy to fall into a doze. Mia had fallen asleep on Eddie and, even though he didn't know it, I saw him brush her hair back behind her ear as she snoozed. He had the same expression on his face that Dimitri had on his when he looked at me. I suddenly wanted very much to hear his voice.

I sat up, looking around. Christian and Lissa were in the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge from the sounds of it. "Hey," I whispered at Eddie. When I had his attention, I told him that I was going out to make a phone call and to pass it along to Christian and Lissa if they asked.

I stepped into Christian's patio. I pulled out my phone and dialed Dimitri's number.

He answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Hey," I replied, feeling a little wistful. I liked talking to him over the phone, but I wanted to see him. "What are you doing?"

"Dimka?" I heard a female voice on the other end. "Who're you talking to?"

There was silence on the other end for a moment before Dimitri got back on the phone. "I'm sorry, Rose, but I can't talk right now. I'll call you back tonight, okay?"

I desperately wanted to ask who was there with him, but I didn't want to be too intrusive. I trusted Dimitri; I didn't think he'd be doing anything I wouldn't approve of. Still, there was a voice in the back of my head saying, _He's with another woman! How could you be so dumb? _I silenced that voice. "Oh, yeah, sure. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay. Bye." He hung up.

I kind of felt like I'd just been slapped in the face. There was a woman with him – wherever he was – and he hadn't told me he loved me. Hell, he hadn't said a damn thing that made him sound like he was talking to his girlfriend.

_Told you, _the voice sneered.

"Oh, shut up." I whispered to myself. I opened my phone back up and sent a quick text to my mom, letting her know I was okay. I stayed out there another minute to collect myself before going back inside. Everyone was up and in the living room, the lights back on. Mia was still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. I had to fight hard to stifle a laugh. She was so tiny that she looked like a little girl. I couldn't say that to her, though, or she'd get mad. "So what's going on?" I asked everyone.

They all looked at me. "First, tell us who you had to call." Christian said.

"My mom, to check in. She won't let me text her cause she's afraid that if something happened to me again, anyone could send a text from my phone saying that I'm okay. I keep trying to tell her that no one would bother doing something like that, but she doesn't listen. Now, what are we doing?"

Christian explained that Roman – one of his geeky friends who was obsessed with stickers and art car shows (I know, weird) – had called to let him know that the movie theater was showing a special presentation of the first _Star Trek_ movie in an hour.

I sighed. "Oh, and let me guess: you want to go?"

Sure enough, an hour later, we were at the theater. I wasn't interested in seeing the movie – not because it wasn't good, but because I didn't care much for science fiction movies – but I did want to spend more time with my friends. Roman joined us, and although most of us – everyone but Christian – thought he was a little weird, we tried to make him feel welcome.

But halfway through the movie, I needed a break. I was on the verge of falling asleep, so I decided to go to the bathroom and walk around a little to wake myself up.

The movie theater was different from others I'd been to. It was two stories, four theaters on the bottom floor and three on top. The only bathrooms they had were on the top floor – I'd complained multiple times to my friends about how hard it was to climb stairs when you _really _had to pee – so I headed upstairs.

I'd gotten up one flight and had one more to go when Mason popped up out of nowhere. I groaned. "Not again. What are you doing here?"

"I was going to ask you that same question." He smirked, putting an arm around my shoulders as he fell into step with me.

"That sounds pretty pointless, seeing as you're the one who decided to show up here. You know, the rest of our friends are downstairs in theater three. Why don't you go bother them instead?"

He grabbed my hand with his free one, making me stop. "Because you're the one I care about, Rose. You always have been. You can't tell me you didn't know that."

My heart broke hearing him say that. I didn't know what to say, so I shrugged out from under his arm and kept walking. He followed me.

"Aw, c'mon, Rose. We both know you aren't shy. Just talk to me, that's all I ask."

"I'd rather not," I breathed, making it to the door to the top floor. I went through it and into the bathroom, which was right across the hall from the stairway door. Thankfully, Mason left me alone. I did what I needed to do fast, hoping that Mason wouldn't pop up while I did. I washed my hands and splashed a little cold water on my face, hoping to keep myself awake and alert. It was a good thing I did.

When I came out the bathroom, I saw someone coming up the stairs through the stairwell door's small window. I knew it wasn't Mason…because this person was wearing a black ski mask. My heart leaped up into my throat as I realized that I was probably in danger. I knew I wouldn't be able to make it into one of the theaters before they made it up the stairs, so I retreated back into the bathroom.

I ran into one of the stalls and shut the door as quietly as I could. I locked it before getting up on the toilet so no one could see my feet, just in case they came in. I held my breath, waiting.

I didn't have to wait long. I heard the bathroom door creak open and the sound of slow footsteps making their way into the room. For a moment, when the footsteps stopped and I didn't hear anything, I thought it was just another person coming to the restroom, probably to check hair and makeup. But then I jumped as the sound of someone slamming the first stall's door open filled the restroom.

There were more footsteps and then a second slam. _Oh, God. _I thought. _They're going to find me. Think, Rose, think! Quickly!_

I still had nothing when I saw feet appear underneath my stall's door. When nothing happened, I thought I got lucky and the person would just leave. But then I saw the door shake and heard the loud pang of someone hitting the door. When the door didn't open, the person began shaking and hitting the door, over and over.

The lock on the door wasn't made to withstand that kind of damage. I knew it'd give soon. I looked around, trying to find something I could use as a weapon, but there was nothing. I looked up and down, wondering if I'd be able to make it over the top or under the bottom of the stall wall and into the next stall. I highly doubted it. But that's when an idea came to me.

I grabbed the tops of the stall walls, testing my weight on it. I figured it would have to do and bent my knees, getting ready for the door to bust open. When it did, I didn't have time to be shocked, even though the person coming after me was in all black with the ski mask on. How had he – I could tell it was a man – gotten through the lobby downstairs dressed like that?

I leaped up, keeping myself from falling by holding myself up on the stall doors. I swung myself forward in mid-air, like I was on a swing, keeping my legs straight out in front of me. It worked. My legs went straight into the man's chest, knocking him back on the floor. I let go of the stall doors, landing on my feet outside of the stall. I didn't stop to check and see who the man was; I ran like hell out of the bathroom.

I remembered something Dimitri had told me when we were running on the track in the gym.

_"What do you do if someone attacks you and you know you can't take them on hand-to-hand?" Dimitri asked while we were taking a break._

_ I thought about it for a second. "Um, scream?"_

_ He smiled. "You could try it, but if someone really wants to hurt you, they're going to do it, whether you scream or not. No, you _run_. You run as fast and hard as you can until you find other people."_

That's what I decided to do now. I figured that going downstairs would just make me slower, so I headed for the first theater I saw. I'd almost made it when I heard the bathroom door open.

Running into the theater, I yelled for help. There was a wall separating the theater seats and the entrance, so I had to run all the way to the end of it before reaching people. But, to my dismay, I saw there were no people in here. This theater must have been done showing movies for the day.

I didn't stop, though. I ran up the steps to the middle row. I ran into the seats, dropping down when I made it to the middle of the row. It was sticky and disgusting, but I really didn't care at the moment. I rolled underneath the seats as best I could, hoping it would be enough to camouflage me.

Mason appeared, squatting, right next to me. I looked up at him, wording "help me" so as not to make any noise. He shook his head. "I can't."

I turned away from him, listening, but I couldn't hear anything. Maybe, just _maybe_, I got lucky and Ski Mask didn't see me come in this theater. I could've sworn he did, but maybe that was just my fear talking.

I was just about to climb out and see if the coast was clear when a hand grabbed the back of my hair and pulled me out from under the seats. I tried to let out a scream, but another hand clamped around my mouth. A scene danced before my eyes.

_Big arms wrapped around me and pulled me into an alley. I tried to scream, but a hand snaked over my mouth, forbidding me from doing so._

No. I wouldn't let that happen to me again. This time I wouldn't make it if I didn't fight back. Luckily, his hands weren't around my body, so I was able to move my arms. I put as much force as I could into the punch I threw behind me. It was pure luck that I was able to hit him in the face.

Ski Mask didn't let go of my hair, but his grip did loosen. That was all I needed. I pulled forward, releasing myself from his grasp, but not without losing a little hair. I got up and spun around. Bad idea. I should've just run like Dimitri had told me to do.

Ski Mask punched me, knocking me back. It hurt, but I couldn't pay attention to that now. I tried to punch him again, but he dodged my blow. I was bracing myself for Ski Mask's next punch when I suddenly remembered something. When Dimitri had been practicing with me in the gym, it was hard for me to focus on his hands and feet at the same time. I decided to try his technique, but my plan was just a little different.

I punched at him with my right hand, expecting him to dodge it. He did. I quickly threw out my left fist and that was when I knew my plan would work. Ski Mask was so focused on my left hand that he didn't even see the kick coming. I threw my leg up as hard as I could…right between his legs. He went down.

I turned, starting to run, but he grabbed my ankle and I went down, hitting the ground face first. I was going to have a bad bruise later – if there _was _a later.

I didn't bother getting up. By now, I was pissed. I looked back at him, thinking of all the pain I'd been through over the past couple of months. I pulled the leg he had a hold of and, using his strength against him as he tried to pull me back, kicked him as hard as I could in the face. His head snapped back, blood splattering out of his nose as it did.

I started running before I'd even gotten up. I ran as hard and fast as I could back into the hallway. I rounded the corner and pushed the stairwell door open as I did. It hit the wall, making a loud banging noise. Ahead of me, I saw my friends coming up the stairs. "Run!" I yelled.

I don't exactly know why they immediately did as I said. It could've been the tone of my voice, or the look on my face. But I like to think it was the fact that my friends just had that much faith in me.

They only stopped and waited for me when they got to the bottom. I kept running and heard their footsteps as they began following me. People gave us odd looks, but I didn't care. All I knew was that I needed to get my friends and myself to safety.

It wasn't until I saw Dimitri and Ms. Amos that I stopped, making my friends run into me. They were outside the theater, but I could see them through the big windows in the front. They stood close together, underneath a streetlight. As I watched, horrified, Ms. Amos ran her hand along Dimitri's arm, linking their fingers together when she got to his hand.

My heart shattered into a million pieces and I wanted nothing more than to collapse in my own misery. But I knew that I had more important things to deal with.

_More important things?! That's your man out there, holding hands with some tramp! _that sneaky voice in the back of my mind screamed at me. I didn't pay it any attention.

"Rose, what's wrong?" Lissa asked, grabbing my arm. I didn't see it, but I felt her flinch, probably from all the emotions running through me right then. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her follow my gaze outside. She gasped when she saw what I was looking at. "Are you okay?"

"Doesn't matter." I hissed before continuing to the door. My friends followed me, whispering to each other as we made our way through the lobby. I wouldn't let myself look at the man I loved, who was breaking my heart.

I walked out the theater. Dimitri and Ms. Amos were just ten feet away, but I refused to look at them. I hoped I could just walk the other way without Dimitri noticing me. I didn't know if I could keep myself together if I had to talk to them. But I should've known better. I could spot Dimitri in a crowd almost immediately – despite his height – and he could do the same with me. How could he not notice me walking out of a theater with my friends?

"Rose?"

I completely stopped. In this case, I _had _to take a deep breath to calm myself. As I did, I felt my hands unclench. I hadn't even known they were in fists, but now I felt where my nails had bitten into my skin.

I turned around, focusing on my anger instead of my heartbreak. Even though I was angry, I couldn't help but notice that he and Ms. Amos were about three feet apart and weren't holding hands anymore. "Oh, hi, Mr. Belikov."

I could tell he knew I was mad immediately. His face fell, but he quickly masked it. "Hello." He nodded to the rest of my friends. "How are all of you this evening?"

"Uh, not so good." Christian answered him. I quickly turned to Christian, giving him a glare that could melt an iceberg. At least, that's what I thought. By the look on his face, I think I was right.

"Why is – Oh my God, Rose. What happened to your face?" Ms. Amos asked.

I'd forgotten about my fall and when I turned to Christian, the left side of my face – the side I'd fell on – was turned toward the streetlight, giving Dimitri and Ms. Amos a clear view of the damage. "It's nothing," I said, a little too fast.

Dimitri stepped forward. "Rose, that isn't nothing. What happened?"

"I…" I looked around at all the people around me, my gaze staying on Ms. Amos just a beat longer than the rest. "I don't want to talk about it now."

I knew he'd noticed when I looked at Ms. Amos. He nodded. "I understand. If you need to talk, you're welcome to stop by my office at any time."

"Dimitri," Ms. Amos spoke up, stepping forward. "Why don't you take them all home? It's getting late and they really shouldn't be out and about after…" She trailed off, looking at me. She didn't need to finish. Addressing the rest of my friends, she added, "I would take you home myself, but I live right down the road and don't have my car with me."

"Oh, no, that's okay. Really, we'll be fine." I told them, trying desperately to get out of this situation.

Lissa stepped up next to me. "Actually, Rose, I think getting a ride would be a good idea. Ms. Amos does have a point."

Oh. My. _God. _I couldn't believe it! Lissa saw what just happened – she _saw _that tramp with her hands all over Dimitri! – and now she was agreeing with her. I felt betrayed.

"Uh, yeah, I'd actually like that." Mia agreed. "I'm getting really tired and don't want to walk home like this if I don't have to."

Dimitri nodded. "Okay, let me go get my car. Don't move." He looked at me as he said the last part. As he turned and left, Ms. Amos went with him. My blood boiled. I thought about bolting for it, leaving my friends behind. After all, Lissa had just betrayed me and the rest of them had no idea what was going on. I started to turn, just slightly, but Lissa caught my gaze, stopping me.

"Rose, what the hell just happened?!" Eddie whispered, coming to stand at my side. "Why were we running?"

It surprised me when Christian put his hand on my shoulder. "Someone came after you again, didn't they?" I was shocked. Christian joked with me so much that I'd forgotten he could be serious with me. I'd also forgotten how smart he was. "That's why you were upstairs so long."

The answer must have been written all over my face because all my friends gasped.

"Rose, why didn't you tell us?" Mia asked. She came over to me and grabbed my hand.

I surprised her when I pulled out of her grasp. I was holding on to my anger so that I didn't break down and cry. "Stop babying me!" I shrieked. "I can take care of myself. I did earlier. I am perfectly fine and I don't want to talk about it anymore."

"Fine." Eddie growled, grabbing Mia's hand – the one I'd shaken off, I noticed. "Have it your way. We won't bother you about it again."

Dimitri pulled up in his car then. He rolled down the window. "My car only seats five people so one of you is going to have to squeeze in the back with others. Sorry about that."

All four of my friends went for the backseat, obviously mad at me. Lissa was the last to get in. She turned and gave me a look that said she wasn't mad, she understood. I knew that she was getting in the back so that I'd have to sit in the front, with Dimitri. I sighed, going around the back of the car – mostly so that Dimitri wouldn't be able to watch me easily – and slipped into the passenger's side.

"Could you drop me off first?" I asked, thinking he wouldn't be able to refuse with my friends in the car. "I'd _really _like to be home right now." There was a double meaning in that and I knew he picked up on it. What I was really saying was, _I _really _don't want to be around you right now._

To my dismay, he found a way to refuse. "Actually, I need to speak with your mother, so it'd be easier if I dropped you off last."

"It's late. I don't think now's the best time for that." I replied, hoping we didn't sound like we were fighting.

"I called your mother to let her know you'd been hurt. She said she didn't mind if I came by."

I scowled, sitting back in my seat. Why did he have to be so smart?

We rode in silence, other than my friends giving Dimitri instructions to their houses. As we dropped each of them off, they mumbled their thanks and goodbyes before heading inside. Lissa was the last to be dropped off, her house the closest to mine.

"Thank you for the ride, Dim-Mr. Belikov." I whipped my head around to look at her when she stumbled over his name. "I'll see you later, Rose. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Lissa." Dimitri replied, calm and collected. Good. Maybe he hadn't noticed.

Lissa shut the door and walked to her house. When she was safely inside, Dimitri put the car in drive and started to go. There was thirty seconds of silence before he asked, "You told Lissa?" I didn't answer. I was too upset and I didn't want to talk to him. He took that as an admission of guilt. "_Rose. _How could you _do _something like that? Do you realize what you've done?" His voice was still low and calm, unlike my earlier outburst. It infuriated me.

I couldn't take it anymore. "_Nothing_. I have done absolutely nothing. And you wanna know why?" He pulled over to the curb, a couple of houses down from my house. "Because there is _nothing _to hide anymore."

I reached for the door, but Dimitri grabbed my arm, stopping me. "Rose, wait! What happened? To us? To your face?"

I flailed the arm he held, getting him to let go. "It doesn't matter. I'm going now."

"No, you aren't." he growled. He was getting angry now. He grabbed both my arms and made me look at him. I caught myself gazing into those beautiful, brown eyes and the very last pieces of my heart broke. "Tell me what happened."

"He found me!" I screamed. "The guy who attacked me _found me. _He came after me, Dimitri! He hit me, and he pulled out my hair, and he did this!" I gestured to my face. "I fought him off. I didn't just run or sit there and let it happen this time. _I fought back, and I won._"

There was worry written all over his face. He let go of my left arm, using that hand to try and touch my face. I flinched back. "I'm so sorry, Roza. Are you okay?"

I looked down to the ground, the tears finally spilling out. "No." I whispered. "I'm not okay. I needed you." My voice broke on the last word.

"What? Speak up, Roza, I can't hear you."

I turned back up to him, the hysteria rising back in my voice. "I _needed _you, Dimitri! I needed you and you weren't there. Instead, I run away from that…that _monster _to find you with another woman!"

"Rose, it isn't what you think. I –"

"I don't care!" I yelled, smacking his hands, which were reaching for me. "It doesn't matter anymore. We're _done_."

With that, I opened the door and began walking down the sidewalk. I heard his car door open and then his footsteps approaching. "Rose, wait, you don't understand!" Even when pleading with me, he was able to keep his voice low so no one overheard. "Let me explain."

I tried to ignore him, but he got in front of me, blocking my path. "I only love _you_, Roza. Please, _please _don't do this."

He reached out, taking my face in his hands. Before I could do anything, he kissed me. I panicked. I knew that if I didn't do something to get him away from me, I'd break down right there. So, I did the first thing that came to mind.

I pulled away and slapped him. _Hard._ The look on his face was devastating. It was as if he just found out the world was about to end. But I couldn't let that get to me, couldn't let him break through the façade that was keeping me together. I considered telling him not to call or text me, but I think the look I gave him was enough.

I jogged off, reaching my house in under a minute. I didn't look back. As soon as I was in the house, I knew Dimitri hadn't called my mom. All the lights in the house were off and I couldn't hear the TV in her room, which usually meant she was asleep.

As soon as I was in my room, I fell on my bed, crying myself sick.

**So…I'll just let you guys review and tell me what you think about all of this…**


	8. Deja Vu

**Thank you for all of your reviews! To Dimka's Chick, who Ms. Amos is will be explained in this chapter if you don't remember her. She's had small parts in my story until now. IMPORTANT NOTE: I just wanted to let all of you know that you help when it comes to the plot of the story. If you want something to happen, tell me about it in a PM or a review. If you just have a suggestion, I would prefer you leave it in a review, but if you want to discuss something happening with me, I'd love to talk in a message. So just know that you have some say in what happens and I hope to hear from you guys :) **

I woke up to the sound of banging on my door. I sat up, rubbing my eyes and looking at my alarm clock. Had I overslept? No, the clock said I didn't need to be up for another half hour. I thought back, trying to remember what time I'd gone to sleep.

That's when the rest of my grogginess went away and the events of last night came back to me. I resisted the urge to cry again and dragged myself out of bed. As I made my way to my door, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and went back to make sure there wasn't anything wrong with my vision.

I looked horrible. My hair was sticking up everywhere and my eyes were enormously puffy and bloodshot from all the crying I'd done last night. No wonder they were sore. But the worst part was the left side of my face, especially near my cheekbone. I had a bruise like I'd expected, a deep purple color. I tentatively touched the skin in that area and winced. It was very sensitive.

The banging on my door continued. I dragged myself away from the mirror and opened the door, terrified of what my mother would say when she saw me. I opened the door slightly. "Yes?" I asked, peeking through the crack.

"Rose, you need to come with me. _Now_." she said, turning around and walking off. She was still in her pajamas, which meant that this was serious. I immediately thought of Dimitri. Had he called my mom and told her what happened, angry with me? If he had…I didn't know what I would do.

There was a part of me that thought I'd been irrational last night, dismissing him too quickly when he tried to explain himself. In fact, that part thought I'd been one hundred percent irrational. I _had _just been attacked. The shock from that, coupled with the shock of seeing Dimitri with Ms. Amos, could have easily made me overreact.

I'd thought about this a lot last night, as I waited for sleep to take me from the pain. I'd get lost on a train of thought, thinking that I'd overreacted and that I needed to call Dimitri and make everything better again. My heart would swell and I'd see a faint glimmer of hope in the darkness.

But the truth was that every time I thought back to the moment when I saw him outside with her, holding her hand and looking down at her with those big, beautiful eyes… My heart would shrivel back down and that hope would disappear.

In my mind, there was nothing Dimitri could say that would make any of this better. I'd done a lot of thinking about things last night, a couple of them being the events of the past few days. I'd remembered hearing Ms. Amos in Dimitri's office, laughing. Then there was the woman's voice on the other end of line when I'd called Dimitri – whoever it was, they had to be close to him because they'd called him by a nickname. Finally, there was last night. No matter how badly I wanted to believe Dimitri when he said it wasn't what it looked like, I just couldn't. There was too much evidence to the contrary.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I shuffled down the hallway after my mom, who'd already disappeared down the stairs.

"Rose," my mom started, gesturing to the front door. "You need to come talk to the police." She looked over at me. "Oh my God, what happened to you?!"

I winced at the tone of her voice. "I'll tell you when I talk to them. Could you invite them into the kitchen? I need to eat something and get some caffeine." She was still looking at me, hand to her mouth, but nodded. I went into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee, figuring the cops would want some. I also thought it might persuade them to be more lenient with me for not going straight to them after my fight last night.

As my mom brought the two cops into the kitchen and invited them to have a seat at our table, I popped a few bagels in the toaster and grabbed a yogurt. I leaned against the kitchen sink, facing them. "Before you say anything, let me just say that I'm sorry I didn't report what happened last night right away. I was a little shaken up after everything. I hope you understand."

One of the cops nodded. He looked like he was in his late-twenties, early-thirties, with short blonde hair and blue eyes. The other cop sighed. He had caramel-colored skin that went well with his light brown eyes, as well as his brown hair. I thought he was around the same age as blondie.

"Miss Hathaway, we do understand that situations like these can be frightening. We're just here to make sure you're okay and to find out what exactly happened. I'm Officer Mahoney and this is my partner, Officer Blake." the one with the caramel-colored skin told me.

I nodded. "It's nice to meet you, even under the circumstances." What was happening to me? I was numb, saying what I thought was appropriate instead of what I'd normally say. Maybe I really _was _broken inside. "Would you like some coffee?"

When they told me they did, I got out the creamer and sugar, setting it in front of them. My mom was looking at me like I was a completely different person, which I guess was sort of true. I poured four cups of coffee, taking two to the table at a time. As Mahoney and Blake made up their coffees, I got my bagels and spread some cream cheese on them before sitting down at the table.

"Can I ask how you know what happened last night?" I asked.

Officer Blake replied, "We got a call early this morning from Eric Dragomir. He said his daughter told him that you'd been hurt in some sort of scuffle, most likely with the person who'd attacked you before. He was worried about you."

I'd always liked Lissa's dad. I wished he hadn't told the police about what happened before I even told my mom, but I was glad to know that he liked me enough to worry about me. "Oh, okay. So, why don't we just get to it?"

With that, I told them everything that had happened on the theater's second floor. They sat there and listened, never interrupting me. It wasn't until I finished that they asked me questions. Had I noticed anything about Ski Mask that stood out? "Well, it was definitely a man, as I told you before. He's about…five feet, ten inches tall. He had muscles, but they weren't _huge_. Other than that, I couldn't tell any difference between him and any other guy." I answered.

They asked me more questions, mostly if I was sure I was okay and didn't need to go to the hospital. I assured them that I was fine besides a couple of bumps and bruises. When they were done questioning me, they told me something _I _didn't know about last night.

"We don't want to get your hopes up, but we think we might have a lead on who did this to you." Officer Mahoney explained. "I know the owner of the theater, a man by the name of George Sinclair. I called him this morning and told him that there'd been an accident at his theater. I asked how something like that could happen on the top floor, where a lot of people could hear you.

"He explained to me that the top floor of the theater wasn't in working condition last night. Apparently, the projectors on the top floor were really old. When one of them broke, he decided to go ahead and buy all new projectors for each theater. He sold the two working ones and scrapped the other, so they couldn't play movies upstairs until the new projectors came in. So our perpetrator is either a frequent customer at the theater or someone who'd have access to that kind of information.

"We're going to be questioning the employees later today and we'll call you if anything comes up." Mahoney concluded.

I thanked them for checking up on me and letting me know about their new leads, walking them to the door as I did. I was looking forward to going back up to my room and sleeping for a while, but my mom pulled me into a hug as I shut the front door.

"Why didn't you tell me what happened last night?" she asked. "You should've woken me up."

I sighed, wrapping my arms around her. "I didn't want to worry you. I took care of myself, mom. Besides, I just wanted to come home and sleep after it happened."

"Of course!" she exclaimed, letting go of me. "Go back upstairs and get some sleep, honey. Your father will be home tonight, but I'll explain everything to him. Don't you worry about anything."

I did as she said, but not before checking my phone. Lissa had called me three times already and – to my surprise – Christian called me once. I didn't bother checking my voicemail. I was too tired. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit my pillow.

[BREAK]

I was nervous as my mom drove me to school the next morning. She'd wanted me to take the day off to rest, but I didn't want to be by myself anymore, wallowing in my own self-pity. The deal that let me walk to school by myself was now off, which didn't surprise me.

Last night, my dad hadn't "babied" me like my mom did, as he liked to put it. He made sure I was alright, gave me a kiss on the forehead, and let me do my own thing. It was one of the things that was so great about my dad; he didn't freak like my mom.

I was nervous about seeing my friends after the way I'd treated them. They'd all sent me messages, asking if I was okay. I sent back that I was fine, that I was sorry for being rude to them, and then turned my phone off. I was worried about what they might reply. I was also nervous about showing up to school with this huge bruise on my face. The color had deepened even more, to my shock. I hadn't thought it could get any more purple.

But I was most nervous about seeing Dimitri. I'd tried to get out of seeing him through my parents, but they told me they thought it was best if I continued with our sessions. They really liked Dimitri, which made what had happened between us that much worse. On top of it all, I couldn't even get out of my "self-defense class" after school.

"I'm so glad that you took a little self-defense," my mom had told me this morning while she made me breakfast. "If just that one class helped you, imagine how well you'll be able to defend yourself when the course is over."

I quickly swallowed the eggs I'd been chewing. "Uh, yeah, about that… Can I skip out on self-defense today? I'm just not feeling up to it."

"No, you can't." my dad said, walking in the kitchen with a newspaper in his hand. "You've been out of the hospital a week and you're already hurt again. Your mother's right. If just that once class helped you, you should take as many of them as you can, as soon as you can."

"But I –"

"No 'buts'." He gave me a pointed look from across the table. He unfolded the newspaper and started reading, so I couldn't see his face anymore. "You're strong, Rose. You can handle an hour long class."

So, not only did I have to go to my daily session with Dimitri, but I also had to ride with him to Helena and practice with him. I'd been thinking of an excuse to tell Dimitri so that I didn't have to go, but I hadn't come up with anything yet.

"Come home right after school to get changed." my mom told me as we made it to the school. "Wait in the house until Dimitri comes to pick you up. You're to come straight back home after class and grabbing something to eat."

I nodded and told her I'd do everything she said before saying goodbye and getting out of the car.

I spotted my friends at our usual table as soon as I walked into the cafeteria. I walked over to them, head held high as everyone started to stare at me. They all began whispering as soon as I'd passed them.

"Hey, guys." I sat down at the table. "Look, before you say anything –"

"We forgive you." Mia interrupted, shrugging. "When we thought about it yesterday, we realized that we shouldn't have pushed you like that. You were already traumatized. You didn't need us there making it worse."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Are you serious?"

Christian and Eddie shared a look. "Do you want us to be mad at you? Hold on." Christian cleared his throat. "Rose, how dare you yell at us after nearly getting beaten to death…again. There, you've been chastised. Can we please move on now?"

I frowned. "I'd hardly say I nearly got beaten to death again…"

Lissa smiled, looping her arm through mine. "And she's back. Good. Now, I'm hungry. Let's get some food."

I kept myself busy for most of the day. I paid extra attention to all my lessons, working hard on make-up work when they were over. I was so distracted that I completely forgot my session with Dimitri during fourth period. We'd been in class fifteen minutes when an office aid knocked on the door. As soon as I saw the yellow slip of paper in the aid's hand, I remembered my appointment with him.

I got up, grabbing my things, before the aid had even given my teacher the paper. The walk to Dimitri's office was quiet, giving me alone time with my thoughts. What would he do when I got there? Wrap me in a hug like he had when I'd first gotten attacked? Yell at me for slapping him? It turned out to be neither.

There was no one in his office with him when I got there, so I was immediately let in. He said nothing as I sat down in one of the chairs across from him, putting my stuff at my feet. I looked at him expectantly, but he didn't say a word. He just stared at me. It was agonizing, especially the silence. I'd rather he'd yelled at me than stay silent.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up. "Well, I think we're done here. I'll just be going now."

"No, I don't think so. Sit." That was definitely not a request, so I did as he said. He stared at me a moment more before getting down to business. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Here was my chance. He was giving me an opening to talk to him, to make things right. "I… I guess." was my brilliant reply.

"Okay, then. Tell me what happened." His voice was calm and completely indifferent. There was no anger, no sadness…no emotion at all in his face. It surprised me, but I didn't let it show.

I looked at the ground, taking a deep breath and thinking back to last night. "I went to the movies with my friends to see _Star Trek_. I didn't _want _to see it, but I wanted to spend some time with my friends after everything that's happened. You know, try to get things back to normal again. I'd started to fall asleep halfway through the movie, so I went upstairs to the bathroom, stretching my legs and trying to wake up.

"I saw him coming up the stairs when I came out. I ran back into the bathroom because I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to a theater before he got up there. I hid in a stall, but he found me. I was able to kick him when he got the door open and ran off while he was still on the ground. I ran into the nearest theater, screaming for someone to help me, but it turned out that the top floor theaters weren't open for business.

"I hit under some seats, but, again, he found me. He pulled me out by my hair and tried to keep me from screaming. I reached back and punched him, making him loosen his hold on my hair. I pulled away from him and got out of his grasp, but he pulled some of my hair out. I, uh…" I trailed off, not wanting to tell him about this next part, but he told me to go on. "I got away from him, but I turned around to face him. I don't really know why I did it; I just did."

I could tell that he wanted to tell me how stupid that had been, but he didn't say a word. I'd thought for sure that once I told him that part, I'd get a rise out of him. I should've been able to see _something _that told me he still cared about me, but there was nothing. I hadn't known there was anything left of my heart to break, but there was, and it had broken. I suddenly felt defeated. I didn't want to keep talking about this. I didn't want to talk about anything, especially with Dimitri.

I forged on, but this time my voice sounded…off. Like I was speaking in a monotone. "He punched me. I punched back, but missed. Then I punched with my right hand again, expecting him to dodge it. When he did, I punched with my left hand, but I didn't put any force into it. Instead, I put force into the kick that he hadn't noticed going right between his legs. He went down and I turned to run.

"He grabbed my ankle and I fell, face first, into the ground. I pulled my leg away from him, but he was trying to hold on to me. I kicked him as hard as I could, making him let go. I got up, ran away, and found my friends. You know the rest." I finished.

He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a knock at the door. He got up and answered it. I didn't know who was on the other side of the door because I kept my back to it. I was afraid that if I turned around, I'd see Ms. Amos.

"I'll be just a minute, Rose." I heard Dimitri say before the door closed.

I sighed, shutting my eyes and giving myself a mental pep talk. _Keep calm, Rose. You can do this. It's going to be hard, and it's not really fair, but you can get through it as long as you keep your mind straight._

"Well, this is entertaining to watch."

I groaned, opening my eyes. "Mason, not now. I honestly can't deal with you at the moment."

He smiled, getting up and walking behind Dimitri's desk. "If you couldn't deal with me, I wouldn't be here. Besides, I'm having fun."

"Good to know someone is. You know this is hard on me, so why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?" he asked, trying to look innocent. "Watch you and your pedophile counselor –"

"Do _not _call him that." I hissed.

"Rose, who are you talking to?"

I turned around to see Dimitri standing there, the door closed behind him. I'd been so focused on Mason that I hadn't even heard the door open. "I was just…" I turned back to Mason, who was no longer there. _Pansy_, I thought. "Nothing. Doesn't matter."

Dimitri came to stand next to me, looking between me and the spot I'd just looked at, the spot where Mason had been. He frowned. "You were talking to…something. What was it?"

I didn't answer as he sat down in the chair next to me. No way was I going to tell my ex-boyfriend that I was crazy and seeing my dead friend everywhere. That would just further complicate things.

I jumped when Dimitri put his hand over mine. "Look, Rose… If you're seeing things that don't make sense…things that aren't _there_…I need to know so I can help you."

"I'm not seeing things." I replied, a little too quickly.

Dimitri sighed. "Have you ever heard of PTSD?" I shook my head. "It stands for post-traumatic stress disorder. People will sometimes suffer from this after going through something really traumatic, like you have. If you're seeing something, anything at all, that shouldn't be there, it's likely that you have PTSD. In order for us to treat it and get you better, you have to tell me what's going on."

I thought about this. Maybe he was right. I actually _hoped _he was right. If he was, that meant that I wasn't crazy or seeing ghosts. I was just…traumatized, I guess.

_Don't do it, _that sneaky, sinister voice whispered in the back of my mind. _Think of everything he's done to you. He doesn't deserve to know your secrets!_

I shook my head, willing the voice away. "I've been seeing Mason."

Dimitri nodded, thoughtful. "That's a start, and it actually makes a lot of sense. All of the stress you've been going through lately started with Mason's death. So what has he been doing?"

"Annoying the hell out of me." When I said that, Mason appeared behind Dimitri, lifting his hand to heart and pretending to be hurt. I scowled.

To my amazement, Dimitri actually chuckled. He quickly stopped, though, when he saw the look on my face. "Can you tell me when you first saw him?"

I shrugged. "Sure. It was right after practice Friday, when you dropped me off. I'd thought someone was following me, but it turned out to be Mason. I thought I was going crazy."

"And what did he say to you?"

"He said –" I'd automatically started to tell Dimitri everything, but stopped when I realized what I was about to say. Mason had talked to me about how he was there – sort of – and my relationship with Dimitri. I swallowed and started over. "He said that he was there because of me. That if I didn't want him there, he wouldn't…" I stopped, lost in thought.

Dimitri nodded. "That he wouldn't be there?" he supplied. I nodded. "Yes, it sounds like you do have some PTSD going on. What else have you two talked about?"

I shrugged. "Things."

"If you want me to help you get over this, you need to talk to me, Rose. The only way I can help you figure out _why _Mason is appearing to you is if we go through this together. Your mind has probably manifested Mason out of feelings or thoughts you've been having that you don't know how to deal with. So, tell me, what has he been talking to you about?"

Mason sat down on the chaise lounge next to Dimitri. He stuck his finger in his mouth and then started putting it near Dimitri's ear. "Hey, what are you doing? Cut it out!" I told him.

Dimitri followed my gaze next to him. "What is he doing?"

I didn't want to tell him, but I knew he was right. If I wanted to get over this, I would have to tell him about Mason. "He's trying to mess with you. I don't know why, but I don't think he likes you."

"Oh, you know why." Mason said, that annoying smirk back on his face. He came around and put his arm over me. "I just can't help myself. Your boy-toy over there is fun to mess with."

I rolled my eyes. "Seriously, would you cut it out with the names? It's not funny."

I looked back over at Dimitri, who was staring at me, gaze thoughtful. "Could you tell me all the times Mason has appeared to you?"

"Sure. I already told you about after practice Friday. He showed up again when I was going up the stairs to the bathroom in the theater. And now he's here. Oh, and I think I heard him following me before practice on Friday, too." I looked at Mason, who winked at me. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was him."

Dimitri wrote some notes in my file, looking pensive. "And what have you two been talking about, again?"

I brushed my hair out of my eyes, but then thought better of it. I could probably hide my bruise better with my hair in my face. "Well, we talked about how I missed him, and why he was there. In the stairwell, he was trying to annoy me, talking about how I'd been the only one he'd cared for before he died."

"And what were you talking about while I was outside?"

This was what I'd been dreading and hoped I could get out of. "Well, we talked about…you and me."

Dimitri went completely still. It didn't even look like he was breathing. He was looking at his notes instead of me, so I couldn't even try to guess what he was thinking. He opened his mouth, closed it, and began writing something down.

I looked up at Mason, who was watching Dimitri closely. "You know, he might be smarter than I thought…"

I wanted to ask him why that was, but I knew Dimitri would hear me and want to know what was going on.

"Well," Dimitri began, finishing his notes and looking up at the clock. "I think that's enough for today."

"But we still have another twenty minutes…?"

He got up, going behind his desk. "Yes, but you've told me a lot and made good progress." He sat down in his big, leather chair. "I'll pick you up after school at your house."

I got up, grabbing my bag as I did. "Yeah, about that… I don't know if I can go."

"Unless you have some sort of emergency, you're going. Your dad already called me and told me you'd try to get out of class."

I nodded, hating the fact that the old man knew me so well. "Alright. I'll see you later, Dimitri. I mean, uh, Mr. Belikov."

"Rose…" Dimitri waited until I looked at him to continue. "Even after…everything that happened, we still have a relationship outside of school. We're still friends. You can call me by my first name."

That was nice and everything, but I wasn't sure if I wanted it that way. I didn't even know if I wanted to be friends with Dimitri. No, that was a lie. I _knew _I didn't want to be friends with Dimitri; I wanted to be so much more than that. I just didn't know how that was possible anymore.

[BREAK]

Because my mom was at work and my dad had a poker game with his friends that he didn't want to miss, they'd agreed to let me walk home as long as Lissa was with me. As soon as we'd said goodbye to everyone else, she took her chance to pounce on the question I knew she'd been dying to ask me all day.

"_So? _What happened with Dimitri!" she whispered.

It was weird, but when she asked me that, I realized that I'd been wanting to talk to someone about what happened with him really badly. But I also knew that I had to take my time when telling her and keep my cool. I didn't want to break down again.

"Well, he was worried about me, but I didn't really give him a chance to say much. I was really upset and I thought he was cheating on me…"

She grabbed my arm. "He wasn't? Are you guys okay?"

I shook my head, willing the tears not to come. "No, we aren't okay. I don't know if he was actually cheating on me or not because I never gave him the chance to explain. I basically yelled what had happened upstairs at him and flew out of his car. He chased me –"

"He _chased _you?! Wow. He must really – Wait." She stopped, making me look at her. "Rose, _please _tell me you let him catch you. Tell me you guys made up and now he's just worried because someone attacked you again, and that's why you guys aren't okay."

"No, that's not it." I grimaced. "He _did _catch me. Then he kissed me."

She gasped. "Outside? Where someone could see you?" When I nodded, she got a dreamy look on her face. "Oh my God, that sounds so romantic. He took the chance of getting caught just so he could try and keep you! Okay, tell me the rest."

I thought about what she'd just said. I'd been so wrapped up in myself that I hadn't thought of things that way, hadn't imagined the risk he'd taken just to get me to stay with him. Maybe it was best that we'd broken up. I hadn't been a very good girlfriend. "Well, I guess it _would _be romantic, if it weren't for me slapping him."

"You _slapped _him? Rose, that… That was _incredibly _stupid of you. It's probably the dumbest thing you've ever done." I stopped, looking at her with my mouth wide open. "Don't look at me like that. You know I'm right."

"How are you right? He cheated on me! Was I just supposed to forget about that and give in to him like a helpless damsel in distress?"

She sighed. "You just said a minute ago that you don't know if he was actually cheating on you or not. And I can tell you right now that he wasn't."

I grabbed her arms, making her face me. "How? Tell me right now, I _need _to know!"

"Not right now." she replied, shaking me off. "Wait until we get inside."

We were right outside my house. I unlocked the door and let us in, almost running up the stairs to my room. I put my book bag down next to my vanity and turned around to talk to Lissa, but she wasn't there. I went out into the hall.

Lissa was coming up the stairs. "You forgot to lock the door."

"I don't care about the door right now. We don't have a lot of time. Get in here and tell me what you know!" I hissed.

She took her time walking to my room. I groaned and went to my closet, taking out a loose, black shirt with the word "hot" on it in red and a pair of gray pants. She closed the door as I changed and sat on the bed.

"Rose, I know he wasn't cheating on you because I checked when we walked out of the theater. He didn't feel anything for Ms. Amos, except what most people feel when they deal with friends. Ms. Amos, on the other hand…" she trailed off.

"What?!" I asked, pulling on my pants. I started slipping my shoes on. "What about Ms. Amos?"

She fidgeted on the bed. "Ms. Amos _does _feel for him."

I sighed. "What do you mean, she 'does feel for him'?"

"I don't know. I mean, I do, but it's hard to explain. She _really _likes him, Rose. I couldn't tell how much exactly outside of the theater because I didn't get to feel her emotions for him that long. But I did do some snooping today when I was in her class. I went up to her desk and thanked her for getting Dimitri to give us a lift that night, checking in on her emotions when I did.

"What she felt when I brought him up… It was really intense, like she loved him. I don't know how her feelings for him could have grown that fast, but they did. Who knows? Maybe she's just one of those women who lets her crush totally overwhelm her. But, yeah, Dimitri didn't feel the same about her." she finished.

"I know, I know." I mumbled, sitting down next to her on the bed. "You told me that already."

Lissa laughed. "No, you _don't _know, Rose. I haven't told you what you need to know yet." She paused, clearly thinking that I was going to interrupt. When I gave her a look that told her to keep going, she did. "The reason why I didn't get to check out Ms. Amos's feelings that well was because someone else's feelings overwhelmed me. Dimitri's, when he saw you. It was like…I don't know, like a light came on inside of him. He really does love you.

"And when he saw your face… You remember that time I fell down my porch steps and hit my head on that rock?" she asked.

I did. It had been me, Lissa, Christian, and Eddie. Mia had gone shopping with her mom that afternoon. We decided to go to the ice cream shop and as we went outside, Lissa lost her footing and fell down the seven steps on her front porch. We all saw when her head smacked off that rock at the bottom. She'd worried me to death, but not nearly as bad as she'd worried Christian.

He jumped every single step to get down to her. He kneeled down next to her and put her head in his lap. Lissa's dad came outside when he heard the noise she made when she fell and he took over from there, but Christian had gotten in his way.

_"Son, let me take her inside." Lissa's dad said to Christian, taking Lissa's arm to help her up._

_ Christian shook his head, putting his hand on Lissa's shoulder to keep her down. "No, she hit her head hard. If she stands up, it could hurt her. We need to call an ambulance to come get her."_

_ "No, no. I'm alright, Christian." Lissa told him. "I have a headache and I'll probably have a bump on my head later, but I'm okay."_

_ But Christian wouldn't listen. "You don't know that! You just took a hit to the head, you might not be able to tell how badly you're hurt."_

In the end, we'd talked Christian into calming down. Lissa's dad took her to the hospital to get checked out, just in case, and she'd been fine.

"Yeah, I remember. Christian freaked out." I told her.

She nodded. "Yeah, he did. The emotion that ran through him when I fell was…amazing. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have someone who cared so much for me. I felt the same thing coming from Dimitri when he saw you like that. I know it took everything he had not to go to you."

Hearing that made me happy and sad at the same time. _He wasn't cheating on me! _I thought, my heart beginning to flutter. It stopped with my next thought. _But I blew it…_

"But…today was different." Lissa continued, jolting me out of my thoughts.

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Before she could answer, I got a text. _On my way. Be ready._

"Tell me quick. Dimitri's on his way to come get me."

She'd opened her mouth to start explaining, but closed it again. She tilted her head to the side, looking at me thoughtfully. "_Dimitri's _coming to get you?"

That's right. The fact that Dimitri took me to "self-defense classes" had slipped my mind when I'd told her about him and I the other night. Thinking back on it now, I must've just been so tired that I'd forgotten. We had _just _started practicing the day I told her about us. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about that. My mom really can't take me to classes in the afternoon and the school won't do it, so Dimitri offered to take me. My mom has been paying him for it. And I'm not really taking self-defense classes. Don't say anything, we aren't running off to dates. He's rented a room and been training me himself."

She shook her head. "You really need to make things right with him."

"Yeah, I do." I whispered. But did he even want to be with me anymore? I had no idea. "But tell me about his feelings today before he gets here."

"He called me to his office today to talk about what happened at the theater. Get things from my perspective, you know? He did the same with Christian, Eddie, and Mia. But, anyway, when I tried to get a reading on him, it was hard. He's full of so many emotions. There was hurt and guilt, and when we talked about you, there was love and longing. There was mostly guilt, but I don't think it had anything to do with Ms. Amos. I think it was over your breakup." she explained.

I was going to ask her what she thought I should do with him, but there was a honk outside. I sighed. "He's here. Walk with me?"

She nodded and got up, grabbing her things and following me to the door. "Oh, yeah, I was going to ask you… Did he say anything about me slipping up on his name that night?"

"Yeah, he noticed. He's smart, Liss. He picks up on things no one else notices. He knew I'd told you."

She groaned as I opened the front door. "Was he mad?"

I was barely paying attention anymore. Dimitri wasn't in his car. He was leaning against the side of it, his arms crossed, making his muscles stick out. His long brown hair was down, blowing around his face in the wind. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt, both of which looked _way _too good on him. I was filled with longing as I looked at him. "Uh, we'll talk later." I told her.

"Okay." she agreed when she caught sight of Dimitri. She gave him a wave and he smiled at her before she began walking down the sidewalk.

I walked over to his car. He opened the passenger side door as I did. "Hey, comrade." I said before getting in the car. He didn't smile like he usually did. In fact, it was like he was ignoring me. Maybe I was right; maybe he didn't want to be with me after what I'd done. I didn't blame him. I'd treated him like crap.

He got in the driver's seat, starting the car and putting it in drive before speeding off. He didn't say a word as he did.

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," I told him, looking straight at him. I wouldn't look away this time. I had to be strong. "The way I acted the other night… It wasn't fair to you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Rose. I understand." he replied, paying attention to the road. "You need to know that nothing happened between me and Ms. Amos. I don't feel that way about her."

"I know –"

He cut me off. "Wait, let me finish. The reason why I was with her that night was because she needed to talk. She said she was having a hard time getting over Mason's death. I told her she could come by my office after school, but she wanted to meet at her apartment. She told me to park at the theater's parking lot since it was right down the road and she didn't have the space in front of her complex for me to park.

"When we were done, she offered to walk me to my car. I told her it wasn't necessary, but she insisted. What you saw…that was all her. She was thanking me for talking to her and helping her out. I guess by your reaction that you didn't see me pull my hand away from her." he finished.

I believed him, other than one tiny part. Well, it wasn't so much _him _I didn't believe as it was _her_. "Why did she need to talk to you about Mason? She barely knew him. She moved here right before he died."

Dimitri frowned, glancing at me. "Rose, Ms. Amos is Mason's aunt."

"What?" I asked. I'd been blind sighted. "How? She doesn't look anything like the rest of his family and, like I said, she just moved here. She's also got a different last name and she's not married." From all the time I'd spent with Mason, I knew his mom's maiden name was Lester. If she was Mason's dad's sister, she'd have the same last name: Ashford.

"Mason's grandparents, on his mom's side, adopted her when she was a teenager, but they let her keep her last name. She told me that her parents died when she was young and her name was all she had left of them. They're from here, but she moved when she graduated. She came back to teach a couple of months ago." he explained.

"Huh." I replied, baffled. "Mason told me he had an aunt, but I didn't know anything about her."

He nodded. "So, that's what happened. I just thought you should know."

I didn't know what to say. Would we get back together now? If we did, how? Did everything just go back to the way it was? I looked out my window, wishing I could take back everything I'd said and done to him Saturday night. A few minutes went by before Dimitri spoke again.

"Do you believe me?" he asked.

"Yeah. I believe you." I assured him, sounding nothing like myself.

He glanced at me, probably because of my tone of voice. I was confused and sad…but mostly I was angry at myself. He turned his attention back to the road and said, "Good."

[BREAK]

"Come on, Rose. You aren't even trying!" Dimitri told me, dodging my punch.

It was true. My heart really wasn't into practicing right now. We'd been doing this for twenty minutes, ever since we got to the gym. Dimitri had changed into sweats – how he found pants that were long enough for his legs, I didn't know – in the locker room before we came up here. It hadn't taken him a minute.

He wanted to spar today, instead of letting me punch gloves and try to kick him. I thought it was because I'd learned what he meant to teach me – I'd done the same thing to Ski Mask and it worked – but I also thought it might just be that he wanted to teach a variety of things.

He wouldn't hit me. Instead, when he got close enough, he'd just subdue me, like he did now.

When he dodged my blow, he moved to the side, grabbing my arm and pulling it, making me turn around. He twisted it up against my back. "See how easy it is for someone to subdue you?" he whispered in my ear. I had to stop myself from shivering. He was pressed up against my back and the contact felt, oh, so good. "You need to take this seriously."

I gulped, gaining control of my voice. "Okay."

We got back into the stance he'd taught me and went again. I still wasn't feeling it – mostly because of the feelings he'd just invoked in me – but I tried a little harder. I made a swipe at his face, just coming short, like I had this entire time.

"Faster, Rose. You can do it." Dimitri said, moving to the right. I moved to the left, staying in front of him. One of the first things he'd taught me when we got in here – after telling me how I should stand – was not to let my opponent see my back. _Ever_. I'd slipped up a couple of times and he got the jump on me, wrapping his arm around my neck and putting slight pressure on it. I knew not to do that again.

I tried to hit him again, but I missed. I stopped, putting my hands to my sides. "I _can't _do this, Dimitri. It's too hard. We should do something –"

I was going to say, "easier," but I never got to. Dimitri grabbed my shoulders and began walking forward, making me walk backwards as he did. I almost stumbled over my own feet, but he got me to the wall before I could. He let go of my shoulders, grabbing my hands. He pushed them up against the wall, next to my head. I was suddenly transported back in time.

_"Anthony" leaned down and kissed my neck before making his way up to my ear, holding my arms up against the wall._

A shudder ran through me, remembering the one and only time we'd come close to having sex, but Dimitri didn't notice.

"Don't you say you can't do this, Roza." My heart leaped at his use of my nickname, but he didn't seem to notice. "I _know _you can. You did it when that pathetic excuse for a human being attacked you. You can do it again."

"That was different!" I exclaimed. "I was in danger. I had to protect myself."

He gazed into my eyes, searching for something. He let out a sigh as he dropped my hands. "You know what? You're right." Okay, I hadn't expected that. He turned around. "You can't do it. You've lost that fire I loved about you."

That did it. I stared at his back as he walked away, feeling something rise up in me. I remembered how angry I was at him Saturday night, how I'd slapped him. I tapped into that anger, letting it drive me forward.

It took two long strides to get to him. I punched him on his side, hitting his ribs. He must've seen me because he automatically turned around, getting into the stance we were in before. I waited as we moved, looking for an opening. For some reason, I felt like we'd done this countless times before, maybe in another life…

_There_. I'd found my opening. I sprang forward, going for the right side of his face. My fist hit his cheekbone, but he didn't seem fazed. He came right back at me, deciding to try a hit of his own. I slid to my left, dodging his blow. His left hand came at me next. I had nowhere to go. If I went to my right, he'd be able to hit me even harder because I'd be going right towards his fist. If I went to my left again, I'd just make it easier for him to line up the punch.

It was like my body took over. I dropped down to the ground, in a crouch. Dimitri lurched forward, thrown off balance by his punch. I brought my right leg out and swung it at his legs. I'd expected him to fall, but he just stumbled to his right. I immediately took advantage of his fumble, standing up and throwing my left hand forward…

…right into his heart.

The blow was hard, knocking him back. I immediately got back into my stance, but Dimitri brought his hands to his side, looking at where I'd hit him. He brought his left hand up and rubbed at the spot, looking up at me as he did.

"I knew you hadn't given up. Good job, really. If you did that move with a weapon…well, you'd definitely incapacitate someone." he laughed.

I smiled at him, loving that he'd praised me. "You weren't so bad yourself, comrade."

"Come on," he said, picking up a towel from the towel rack and wiping his face. "It's time to run."

We ran the same exact way we had Friday, running a mile and then a couple of sprinted laps. After our sparring earlier, we were in good moods. Everything felt light and easy again.

I hated that I'd forgotten to bring extra clothes, but the shower I took helped. The gym had complimentary shampoo, conditioner, soap, and towels in the locker room. If I wouldn't have looked weird, I would've grabbed a robe and wore that out.

"Where'd you learn to do all that?" Dimitri asked as we went through a McDonald's drive-thru. We were both exhausted from practicing and had decided to grab something on the go so we could get home faster.

I shook my head, a smile on my face. I was actually really proud of myself. "I don't know. It was like…like I went on autopilot or something. I didn't think. I just acted." I explained.

He gave me another broad smile. "What I really don't get was that last move you did. You hit me _hard_. It was like you were trying to get through my ribs and everything to get to my heart."

"What, like stake you?" I asked. We both laughed.

An hour later, we were pulling up to the curb in front of my house.

"So…" I said, not knowing what to do or say. I didn't know if I should bring us up or let him do it.

He looked at me, smiling. "So?"

I gulped. I actually knew what I wanted to say, but I wasn't sure if I should or not. I finally decided to just spit it out. "What happens with us?"

His face fell and I immediately wished I could take it back. But it was too late now. He reached over and took my hand, looking at my fingers. He ran his thumb along them, over and over again. "Look, Rose… I don't think there should be an 'us'."

I stared at him, my heart pounding hard in my chest. I wanted to speak, but the words got caught in my throat. With my hand still in his, I closed my eyes and got myself together. "Why?" I whispered.

"Because…" I heard him sigh. "Because I think _I'm _the reason you're seeing Mason."

** First of all, thank you so much for reading! You have no idea how happy it makes me to know that people enjoy my stories. And second, please review :) Like I said before, you could change the way this story plays out if you let me know what you think about everything in a review or a PM. I love you guys! You're all awesome! :D**


	9. Blame It on the Alcohol

**Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and follows! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story. I'm trying to update at least once a day because I'm out of Uni for the summer, but yesterday I went out with some friends so I didn't have time. I hope you all understand.**

** I'd like to give a HUGE shout out to XxXLost-In-The-CrowdXxX and their story **_**Care For Me, Care For Me Not**_**! It's a great story, so you guys should check it out! I also got an idea for this story from that one, so I want to make sure they get the credit they deserve.**

**Also, you should look up the songs mentioned in this chapter because it's easier to picture the scenes if you know what the songs sound like. The lyrics to "Dirty Talk" and "Woo Hoo" are also something you need to keep in mind. But DEFINITELY look up "What the Hell" by Avril Lavigne because that song has a BIG part in here and you won't get it if you don't. Without further delay, here's the next chapter!**

To say that what Dimitri had just told me confused the hell out of me was an understatement. I didn't say anything as I pulled my hand out of his grasp and put it back in my lap. I thought about asking him what he meant, but, honestly, I was tired. It seemed like everything was going wrong, no matter what I did. So, instead of voicing my thoughts, I turned to Dimitri expectantly.

He must have known that I wanted him to explain because he continued. "I don't think I'm _all _of the reason you're seeing Mason, but I'm playing a part of it. Can I ask…? How often do the two of you talk about us?"

I thought on that. "Uh, almost every time I see him. But I don't understand. What does it matter if we talk about you and me? I _am _just talking to a figment of my imagination, right?"

"Yes…and no. Mason is being manifested by your mind, but you talk about things that –"

"Oh no." I whispered, shaking my head. "You think because I talk to Mason about us that I have…conflicted feelings or whatever about us?"

He stared at me, eyes widening for only a second before he regained his composure. "Well, yes. You figuring it out like that just proves it to me."

I shook my head, grabbing my stuff and opening the door. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to have this conversation with you. I don't feel bad or guilty or anything for dating you. I _love _you, Dimitri." His eyes brightened a little when I said that. "If there was one thing that was going right in my life, it was you. So I'm just going to get out now and let you think about things.

"Honestly, I'm _tired_. It's been one bad thing after another since Mason's death. I don't need this on top of everything else. I want to be with you. If you _really _don't want to be with me, I understand. But don't give me some excuse. Don't tell me you can't be with me _because _of me."

I got out of the car and bent down to look back in, plastering on a smile so my parents and neighbors wouldn't notice anything was wrong if they noticed us. "Take some time to think about things, about what you really want. But know this: I won't wait around forever. I love you and I want to be with you, but I won't be led on. Call me when you've made your decision. Or don't. It's up to you."

I shut the car door and turned around, walking up to my doorstep. When I turned around, he was still parked in the same spot, looking at me. I gave a small wave and went inside, feeling like I'd either just made the best or worst decision of my life. I couldn't tell which yet.

[BREAK]

The rest of the week passed by uneventfully. Seriously, _nothing _happened. Dimitri went out of town, but I didn't know why, so we didn't have any sessions or after-school classes. He didn't call or text and I was worried that he'd decided he didn't want to be with me. Every time I thought about it, though, I'd stop myself.

I was going to stand by my decision. I didn't want to play games anymore. Either he loved me or he didn't. Yes, being in a relationship with him would be hard – not only because of our age difference, but also because he was my counselor – but I felt like if we really loved each other, we could make it work.

That didn't mean that I didn't second-guess myself, though. Had I really had a right to demand things of him after what I did? After I slapped him? If I didn't, it was too late. I was scared of what Dimitri might tell me when he got back, but I comforted myself with the thought that – even if he didn't want to be with me – I'd finally have my answer and could move on with my life.

It really wasn't fair, though, that the week Dimitri wasn't here was the same week Lissa wasn't. She'd gone on a school trip to Carroll College in Helena. It was a private college that only accepted the best. I had good grades and could probably get in, but I didn't want to go to Carroll – it was too close to home. So I'd sent my applications to Rocky Mountain College in Billings and University of Great Falls in Great Falls. Both were in Montana, but they were two hours away from home. I felt like that'd give me enough space without being too far away from my friends and family.

Lissa had applied to both schools as well, but she'd also been accepted to Carroll. There were ten students from my school who had been accepted there, so they all went to view the campus and see what college life was like there for a week. From what Lissa had told me over the phone, they spent their days like actual college students. Each one of them got their own student to guide them around campus. Lissa got some guy who was apparently a lot of fun because he kept skipping classes to take her to parties.

I was happy that she got to go out and have some fun, but Christian definitely wasn't. He'd gone with her on the trip and had been texting Eddie the whole time they were gone about how much he didn't like the guy who was showing Lissa around. He thought he was flirting with Lissa, but when I brought it up to her, she denied it. "He's just friendly," is what she would say.

We hadn't been able to talk much because she was so busy, but she'd told me about some of the parties and classes she went to. It seemed like every time I managed to get her on the phone, something – or some_one_ – got her attention and she had to go. But, luckily, it was Friday and she would be home that evening.

Eddie and Mia had gone with Eddie's parents to visit his grandparents for the weekend. Those two were getting serious and I was happy for them. When they invited me to tag along, I turned them down, not wanting to be a third wheel. We'd all been to Georgia and Pete's house before – they were wonderful people – but without Lissa and Christian, I'd feel weird.

So, instead, I stayed at home, the way my parents liked it. Lissa wouldn't be home until late, so I had to wait until tomorrow morning to see her. I caught up on the rest of my homework and then curled up in bed, watching all the shows I'd recorded and hadn't gotten to watch yet. My parents and I finally got to have that family dinner my mom wanted, but it wasn't anything special…until my mom brought up Dimitri.

"Do you know when Dimitri will be back and when you'll start your classes back up again?" she asked, waving a napkin around in the old man's face. He had barbecue sauce on the tip of his nose, but I didn't know how it got there.

I shrugged, biting into my corn-on-the-cob to buy myself time. "I'm not sure. He didn't tell me when he'd be back."

She smiled. "I hope he gets back soon. I really like him. He's been helping you through so much and he's very respectful. I think I'll invite him to dinner again."

I stopped chewing, thinking of something to say. I couldn't let her invite Dimitri to dinner; it would be unbearable. But I couldn't just blurt out that out without giving her an excuse. I sat there silently, nothing coming to mind, but thankfully my parents didn't notice my reaction.

"Hey, now," my dad said, looking up from his plate. "Should I be worried?"

My mom laughed. "Of course not!" She and my dad had this game they liked to play, but I hated listening to it. Every time one of them would bring up the opposite sex, the other would tease them about it, asking if they needed to be worried that the other would leave them for whoever they were talking about. "He's almost half my age. Rose has a better chance of dating him than I do."

I nearly spit out the tea I had in my mouth. I began coughing and sputtering, my parents giving me funny looks. I gained control of myself long enough to drink the tea and take a deep breath. "Don't be silly," I croaked. "As if that would ever happen."

Ah, how I loved the Sarcastic Truth card. It made it hard for people to tell I was lying. But my parents were still giving me funny looks. Luckily, I was saved my phone going off. "It's Lissa!" I told them, before running off upstairs, ignoring their protests. "Hey, Liss." I said into the phone.

"Hey, I got home sooner than I thought. You wanna hang out?" she asked.

I shook my head before realizing she couldn't see me. "I can't. The parental units have me on lock-down tonight. But we can hang out tomorrow?"

"Definitely," she said. I could hear a smile in her voice. "I actually have something planned for tomorrow night, but you can't say anything to your parents. Just tell them you're sleeping over at my house. My dad's out on business, but Andre is still here."

"What are we doing?"

"You'll see."

[BREAK]

"I brought my stuff," I told Lissa, setting my heavy bag down on her bed. "I have everything you told me to bring."

I'd told my parents exactly what she told me to tell them, that I was sleeping over here. They were still nervous about letting me out, but they figured I'd be safe with Andre there. We were going to let them believe that Lissa's dad was going to be there, too, but they'd surprised us by calling him. When I begged them to still let me go, they agreed, but on the condition that I not leave the house. Yeah, right.

"Excellent!" She clapped and strode over to her bed, opening my bag and looking through it. "Now, we need to get ready. Christian, Eddie, and Mia are already on their way over. And our ride will be here soon."

"Our ride?" I asked, bewildered. "Where are we going? Who's taking us?"

My heart began to race as my mind began thinking of all the things that could be happening right now. Of course, the first conclusion I'd come to was Dimitri. Had she talked to him and gotten him to change his mind about us? But, no, if the rest of our friends were coming out with us, that couldn't be it.

She pulled out my straightener and hair curler. "We're going to a club with Adrian."

I frowned. "Who's Adrian?"

"The guy who showed me around campus all week. He's so much fun…and cute. You'll see when he gets here. Anyway, he has the aunt who owns all these different companies, including a line of clubs. Since he's her favorite nephew, he pulled some strings and got us on the list for one in Helena! We're going to have so much fun!"

"I don't know, Liss." I told her, sitting down on the bed. "I've been doing a lot of thinking and what if the people who attacked me have been following me? How else would they have known about me being in the theater?"

She stopped taking things out of my bag and turned to me. "You have a point, but…they won't follow you all the way out to Helena. Besides, this club is really exclusive, not just anyone can get in. They won't be able to touch you with all the security, even if they do follow."

Lissa began going through my bag again as I thought. I wanted to be safe, but I also wanted to have some fun. I desperately _needed _fun. The more I thought about it, the more I thought it couldn't hurt. Lissa had a point, they couldn't get to me if they tried. And I couldn't spend my entire life holed up because I was scared.

Thirty minutes later, I stared at my reflection, pleased. I was wearing a tight red dress that went halfway down my thighs. It had a halter top and showed off every one of my curves. I wore red pumps with it and had curled my hair, leaving it looking shorter than it actually was, stopping at mid-back. My makeup had done a good job of covering up what was left of my bruise – a light yellow color now. Lissa had patted me down with a glitter duster, making me sparkle all over.

"You look great." Lissa said, coming back into her room. She'd straightened her hair and was wearing a loose, light blue dress that was about the same length as mine. She wore flats instead of heels, the same color as her dress. She'd gone downstairs to welcome Christian, Mia, and Eddie inside. "Now, come on! Adrian is downstairs and I really want you to meet him."

Some part of me thought she was trying a little too hard to meet this Adrian fellow. I brushed that thought away, though, knowing that there was only one person I wanted to be with. He, unfortunately, was not here.

As I walked down the stairs with Lissa, I spotted him in front of the front door. He'd been talking to Eddie, gesturing grandly, when he noticed us coming their way. He stopped and looked up at me, our eyes meeting.

Lissa was right, he _was _cute. He had shaggy brown hair that looked messy even though you could tell he'd styled it. His eyes were such a deep emerald color that I was enchanted by their beauty even from across the room. He was wearing dark blue jeans that looked raggedy but new at the same time and a dark brown shirt with horizontal blue lines.

As I stared at him, he smiled, and I realized why Lissa would want to set us up. His smile brightened everything around him. I wondered what I may have thought about him before I'd met Dimitri, but quickly decided it wasn't worth thinking about. I'd never know that answer. Suddenly, Adrian winked, jolting me out of my daze.

"Rose, this is Adrian," Lissa said, gesturing to him when we got down the stairs. "Adrian, this is Rose."

Adrian took my hand, bowing as he did and kissing it. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

I laughed, taking my hand back. "Charming. I like that."

"There's more where that came from." He stood back up, smiling.

Lissa, Eddie, and Mia laughed while Christian scowled. Lissa told me earlier that Christian hadn't wanted us to go out with him, probably because he was worried Adrian would try to put the moves on her. "Well, if everyone's ready to go…?" Christian sighed.

We all nodded, turning to Lissa's front door. We started filing out, but Adrian stayed back, waiting for me. When I got next to him, he put an arm around my shoulder. "So what's a pretty girl like you doing hanging out with us tonight? You must've had plenty of other offers on the table."

"Believe me, you have _no _idea. I'm something of a female Casanova around here." I told him, face serious. He gave me a confused look and I laughed. "Joking."

The smile that had lit up his face earlier returned. "Beautiful and a sense of humor. I like that."

He opened the passenger's side door of his dark green Jeep and I stepped inside, wondering why I had to sit in the front. I barely knew Adrian. Why did I have to sit with him? But as I looked to the back, I realized why. There were three seats in the backseat and two behind it, in the very back. Lissa and Christian were sitting together behind me and Eddie and Mia were in the very back. Oh.

Adrian got into the driver's side and pulled away from the curb. "So, tell me about these romantic adventures of yours."

[BREAK]

When we got to the club, we went straight to the bouncer in front instead of waiting in line. To my surprise, it was a woman. She looked about six feet tall and had well-defined muscles. Her hair was long and dark red, but the roots were graying. For the life of me, I couldn't tell how old she was. Adrian told her our names and we were let in with a sly glance from the woman.

The club was on fire. There was a huge dance floor with people dancing on every inch of it. I saw two bars, one for those who could drink and one for those who couldn't. Adrian told us not to worry, that he'd hook us up, but I wasn't so sure about that. There were some booths around the walls of the club, but there were hardly any people in them. Upstairs, I could see people with paint that glowed in the black lights they had up there.

"Whoa. This is crazy!" I murmured to Lissa, who nodded. We could barely hear anything over the music.

Adrian turned around to face us. "I'm going to go get us some shots. You guys can go dance or whatever, but I expect you to be at the table in the corner when I'm done. No one's getting out of this party."

We all automatically gravitated toward the table he'd gestured at. We had to go through part of the dance floor to get there and I grimaced as hot, sweaty bodies brushed against mine. I could feel the bass of the music in my chest, but I didn't care. I was going to let go tonight. I was going to get my fun.

"I don't think drinking is a good idea." Christian told us as we sat down.

I scoffed. "You don't think any fun is a good idea. Just let go!"

Everyone laughed but Christian rolled his eyes. Lissa and I began talking excitedly about getting on the dance floor as Mia and Eddie formed their own little bubble. I didn't think anyone could penetrate it if they'd wanted to. Before we knew it, Adrian was back.

"Alright," he said, holding shots with everything but his feet. "I already did my first one. You guys do one and then we'll do the second one together."

Everyone grabbed their two shots as Adrian set them down, except for Christian and Mia, who hesitated. Adrian raised an eyebrow at Christian, making him grab his shots just so that Adrian couldn't hang it over him. Mia quickly snatched her shots up after Christian did, not wanting to be left out.

I'd done my fair share of drinking before, but I'd never had shots, unless you count that time Lissa and I had gotten into her dad's vodka. We'd poured it into the bottom of regular glasses and took turns downing them. We hadn't felt anything after we drank them, to our dismay, but they'd kicked in as soon as we got up to go watch TV. We spent the rest of that day and the next in bed.

"On the count of three." I announced, picking up my first shot. Christian, Lissa, Eddie, and Mia followed suit. "One…two…_three_!"

I brought the shot up to my lips, tilting my head back as I did. I allowed the alcohol to go down my throat, burning as it did. I heard the tap of my shot hitting the table before anyone else's and shook my head as I took a breath. The burning intensified. "Oh my _God_." I said, loving the flavor but not the intensity. "What _is _that?"

Adrian looked at me and smiled. "They're called 'Flaming Cocaine' shots. Cool, huh?" He winked.

Mia coughed, grabbing her throat as she did. "This stuff is awful!"

Adrian and I were the only ones who laughed. Lissa was still blinking and shaking her head every now and then, probably wondering when it would stop burning. Christian and Eddie were looking at Mia, concerned, but she noticed and quickly recovered.

"Next one!" I called, doing a drumroll with my hands on the table. Everyone – including Adrian this time – grabbed their next shot, waiting for me to call it. I counted to three and we all drank the second shots.

Fifteen minutes later, we'd done five shots each and I was feeling tingly. I decided I wanted to dance and, without saying a word, grabbed Lissa's hand and dragged her to the dance floor. As we got there, a new song came on. _Low _by Flo Rida.

"I love this song!" I yelled to Lissa and she laughed before we began dancing.

As we rapped along with Flo Rida, we swayed together. Soon more girls had come to join us and we were all grinding around. They brought more guys with them. I couldn't go very low, like everyone else was during the chorus, because my dress was so short and my heels would kill me.

As the bridge came along, I felt hands grab my hips. I turned to see a really hot guy with bright blue eyes and blonde hair. If I hadn't been feeling so good from those shots, I probably would've shaken him off me, but I really didn't care right then. I turned around, his hands still on my hips, and we swayed together as the rest of the song played.

Soon _Dirty Talk _by Wynter Gordon came on. I automatically turned to Lissa, squealing. She, too, had turned to me, laughing. We'd listened to this song a million times when it came out and loved it.

"Can you believe they're playing this?!" Lissa laughed.

I shrugged, still dancing. "It _is _a college club."

We began singing the song as we sashayed back and forth, our bodies pressed together. Lissa and I were so close that it didn't feel weird dancing like this. Of course, it looked sexual to other people – which is why they were watching – but it didn't feel that way to us. I put my arms up as I sang the chorus, "I am no angel…"

Suddenly, Christian came out of nowhere, grabbing Lissa from behind. He had this ferocious look in his eyes, like he didn't want anyone else touching her. I shrugged, turning around…and coming face-to-face with Adrian. I squeaked as his hands went around my waist, bringing me close to him.

"I like this song," he told me with a wink as we began to dance. "It suits you."

I blushed. "Excuse me? You don't know anything about me."

He laughed, pulling me closer, which I didn't know was possible. "But I can imagine."

"Please. You could have any girl in this room if you wanted. Look at you."

"Was that a compliment?" He wriggled his eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes as the song began to fade out. "You wish." The song ended, but we didn't break apart. Instead, I realized we were pretty much wrapped in each other's arms. I looked up to tell Adrian that the song was over and he could let me go, but we wound up looking right into each other's eyes. Our proximity began making my heart race and, as I got lost in his beautiful green eyes, I had the urge to kiss him.

To my surprise, he let go of me with a smirk on his face. "I'm going to get us more shots."

I didn't think that was a good idea, but I let him go, trying to get my breathing to return to normal. What had I just been doing?!

_Nothing, _the voice that hated me snickered in my head. _You were about to kiss a really hot guy who is almost the same age as you and _isn't _your counselor. There's nothing wrong with that._

_ Save it, _I thought right back as a slow song began. I hadn't thought they played slow songs in clubs, but apparently they did. I went back to the table, where Eddie and Mia were getting up to dance. Lissa and Christian were still out there. I nodded to the two of them before sitting down and pulling off my shoes.

I sat there, rubbing my feet, as Adrian came back with an armload of shots. I got up to help him as he did. We sat down next to each other and watched everyone dance.

"Alright, young one, let's see how well you can handle your alcohol." he laughed, sliding a shot over to me.

I shook my head. "I'm not _that _much younger than you. Only by a couple of years."

He smirked. "Oh, then by all means, you go get us some shots." I scowled at him and he laughed. "C'mon, next shot."

I really didn't think it was a good idea to take another shot, the way I was feeling now, but I didn't want to let Adrian think I was a little girl who couldn't hold her liquor. I grabbed the shot he'd slid to me and downed it. As I did, I heard _Woo Hoo _by Kings of Leon come on.

I quickly ignored the burning in my throat – which was becoming easier and easier the more shots I took – and looked at Adrian. "I didn't know they played stuff by Kings of Leon in clubs. Well, other than _Sex on Fire_."

"They'll play anything you want them to. They only turn it off if no one's dancing to it, but that doesn't happen very often." Adrian explained.

I nodded and got up, forgetting my shoes as I once again went to the dance floor. I wasn't surprised to have Adrian follow me. He pulled me in his arms and began slowly swaying to the music. He stopped, surprised, when the chorus picked up and he caught the lyrics. A slow smile crept up on his lips as he leaned toward me.

"I see why you like this song…" he whispered in myear. A shiver ran through my body, but I barely paid it any mind. This song was dirty, so it was obvious what he meant.

We gravitated back toward each other when the second verse began, but broke apart again and began jumping – like everyone else – when the chorus picked up again. We danced until the song was over and _What the Hell _by Avril Lavigne came on. I couldn't believe how perfect it was right now.

I sang the lyrics while Adrian and I danced. I was drunk, but I wasn't really paying attention. Like the song said, "Don't get me wrong/ I just need some time to play". I danced around Adrian, singing like I was talking directly to him. A couple of times, he tried to wrap me back in his arms, but I wouldn't let him. We were now gaining the attention of several people around us.

_La La La La La La La La Whoa, Whoa_

I reached over and ran my hand along the side of Adrian's face, still dancing.

_La La La La La La La La Whoa, Whoa_

I walked up right in front of him, turning around and leaning on him.

_You say that I'm messing with your head. Boy, I like messing in your bed._

I slowly lowered myself as far as I could go, my body pressed right up against his. My arms stayed up as I did, trailing down from being wrapped around his neck behind me.

_Yeah, I am messing with your head._

I stood up and turned around, putting my arms on his shoulders.

_When I'm messing with you in bed._

I leaned forward and whispered that part in his ear. I felt the shiver go down his body as I did, right before he turned his head and kissed me.

There was a loud applause as Adrian and I stood there kissing, but I wasn't paying attention to anything but the feeling of his lips on mine. He was so warm. His lips tasted like cinnamon and cigarettes, but, like the song said, _what the hell?_

Suddenly, a hand grabbed my arm and started pulling, breaking my and Adrian's kiss. I saw the shock on his face from me pulling away from him, but it turned into a smirk as he saw that Lissa was the one pulling me away.

As we got to the edge of the dance floor, she stopped and stood in front of me, letting me go as she did. "What do you think you're doing?!" she chastised.

I shrugged. "What? It's not like I'm cheating or anything."

Instantly, I knew I'd said the wrong thing. My mind automatically pulled Dimitri out of thin air and I gasped. Lissa looked at me pointedly, like she knew what I'd just remembered, but I wasn't going to let her ruin my fun.

"I'm _not _cheating. I told Dimitri what I wanted and am giving him some time to think about it. He hasn't even _called _me, Liss. What does that say?" I was kind of bringing myself down by talking about this. It had been the one thing I wanted to steer clear of tonight.

She looked at me hard, scrutinizing. "Fine," she finally said. "But don't come crying to me when you realize what you've done."

With that, our conversation was over and I returned to Adrian.

"What was that about?" he asked as I wrapped my arms back around him and began to dance.

"Nothing." I smiled up at him. "Nothing at all."

[BREAK]

I flopped down on Lissa's bed, a goofy smile on my face. "Tonight was _so _much fun!"

She pulled off her dress, grabbing a pair of red Tinkerbell pajamas as she did. "Maybe a little _too _much fun."

"I already explained this to you," I groaned.

"Yeah, yeah. You were glued to Adrian's face for half the night, though! Is it really so easy for you to forget Dimitri?"

I frowned, coming down from the high I'd been feeling all night. I felt fine right now, but I'd probably have a hangover in the morning. What Lissa didn't understand was that it was impossible for me to forget Dimitri. A lot of the times I'd been kissing Adrian, I'd been thinking of Dimitri, wishing it was him who had his hands wrapped around me.

Before I could tell her that, though, my phone went off. I'd turned it off while we were in the club, but the battery was still dying. It was on the charger after just being turned on when I came in Lissa's room a few minutes ago.

I got up and walked over to it, wondering who was calling me at two in the morning. When I saw the caller ID, my stomach did a flip. "Oh, God. No. I _cannot _deal with this right now." I said, hitting the volume button on the side and making my phone shut up.

"What?" Lissa asked, walking over to my phone. She gasped when she saw the caller ID and quickly picked up my phone. Before I could stop her – I'd been walking back to her bed, a couple feet away from her – she answered it. "Rose's phone." A moment went by. "Yeah, she's here and she's awake. Hear you go."

She held out the phone to me. I put up my hands, waving them to tell her I didn't want it, but she shoved it at me before going to her bathroom. I sighed. "Hello?"

"Uh, hey, Rose." Dimitri said. "What are you doing?"

I dodged the question. "Me? What are _you _doing? It's two in the morning."

There was a moment of silence. "I just got back home. I texted you thirty minutes ago, but you never replied. I want to see you."

"At two in the morning?" I sounded like a broken record, saying the same thing over again.

He chuckled. "I wasn't planning on it. Dropping by your parent's house in the middle of the night might raise suspicion."

I shook my head, again not realizing that the person over the phone couldn't see it. "I'm not at my parent's house. I'm at Lissa's. It's just us and her brother here, but he's asleep." I hadn't meant to mention that, but in my drunkenness, I'd let it slip.

There was another pause on the other side of the line. "Well, then, do you think you could sneak away for a minute or two?"

I paused, thinking. I had two choices: I could either meet him now and get his breaking up with me – for good – over while I had alcohol in my system to soften the blow, or I could wait until tomorrow when I'd be hopelessly hung over. I went for the first one. "Alright. Park down the road. I'll meet you in the backyard. You remember how to get here, right?"

After assuring me he knew where to go, we hung up. I filled Lissa in on what was going on and she gave me a look that said, _See? Told you making out with Adrian was a bad idea…_

I ignored her, going into the bathroom and brushing my teeth. I didn't want the smell of alcohol on my breath. When I was done, I told Lissa I'd be back and ran downstairs as quietly as I could, praying Mr. Dragomir wouldn't come home early. I doubted he would at this time of night, but you never knew.

I waited in the gazebo in Lissa's backyard. It was pretty; painted white with blue trim. There were seats all around it, so I sat down, hoping the spinning of the world I occasionally saw would go away for good.

I'd waited ten minutes before I saw Dimitri coming around the house. I thought about getting up, but then remembered how dizzy I felt when I stood. I waved to him to let him know where I was and he began walking toward me.

When he stepped into the gazebo, he froze. Like, literally. He'd been going up the steps when he caught sight of me and every muscle had stopped in mid-action. In my haste to get my teeth brushed and go downstairs, I'd forgotten about my dress, which I knew looked good on me. I was barefoot since I'd accidentally left my heels in Adrian's Jeep.

"You look…amazing." Dimitri said, looking at me like he wanted to rip the dress off right then and there.

I blushed profusely, glad that it was so dark out here that he couldn't see it. "Oh, um, thanks. I went out with Liss tonight."

He suddenly frowned. "Where did you go to in _that_?"

"Uh, we went to this club in Helena. It was no big deal."

"No big deal?!" Dimitri scoffed, sitting down next to me. He took my hand in his and I felt tingles go all throughout my body. A week without him had seemed like an eternity. "You _do _realize how much danger you put yourself in, right? You could've gotten hurt again."

I shrugged. "But I didn't. Look, I appreciate you being concerned for me, but I'm alright. Not even a scratch on me."

He let go of my hand and lifted it to trail along my left cheekbone, where my bruise was. It hadn't been noticeable to anyone else, but of course Dimitri would see it. "But there is _this_. I'll let it go this time, Roza, but please be careful."

"I will. I was tonight." Maybe not a little too careful. I had kissed Adrian. _Don't think about that now! _"So…you wanted to see me?"

"Yes," he breathed, inching nearer to my face. "I wanted to tell you that…I've made my decision." I looked into his face, but I couldn't read anything on it, mostly because it was too dark. My heart hammered in my chest and I felt like I was going to throw up. _Oh, God, here it comes… _"If you really want to be with me, well, I want to be with you, too."

I was so happy I could've done cartwheels…if it weren't for the still queasy feeling in my stomach. Why did I still feel like throwing up? I put a hand to my stomach and scrunched up my face, trying to get under control.

"Roza, are you okay?" Dimitri asked, cupping the side of my face in his palm.

I nodded. "Yeah, I-I…"

And that was when I threw up.

** Another chapter done :) Again, sorry for the wait. Leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	10. Bucket of Cold Water

**Alright guys, I'm trying to get this chapter done in time to upload it the same day as the last chapter because I wasn't able to get the previous chapter up when I wanted. Also, I just HAVE to say this: Bloodlines was AMAZING! I hadn't gotten the chance to read it yet, and I did yesterday. I'm not going to say anything here just in case someone wants to read it and hasn't yet, but if you haven't read the Bloodlines series, you should totally check it out.**

** Without further ado…you guys know the rest :)**

"Uh…" I groaned, leaning back over the railing of the gazebo and wiping my mouth. Dimitri was holding my hair and rubbing my back, trying to make me as comfortable as I could. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head, running his fingers through my hair. His face was completely serious when he said, "Don't apologize for being sick, Rose. You can't help it and I don't mind being here for you. I actually prefer it when I'm here to comfort you."

"Still…it's pretty gross. I should go brush my teeth." I murmured. My stomach did another flip. "Well, never mind." I promptly flew back over the railing and proceeded to empty my stomach, if that was even possible. I'd thrown up twice already – this made it three times – and I wanted nothing more than to go upstairs and sleep.

"Do you think you have a bug?" Dimitri asked once I was finished.

My stomach felt a lot better now; I was no longer feeling queasy. Taking that as a good sign, I turned around, leaning against the gazebo's railing for support. My forehead was covered in sweat, so I wiped it as I replied, "Uh, I don't think so."

Before I could react, Dimitri reached for me, pulling me against him so he could be the one I leaned on instead of the railing. "Well, then, what…?" He stopped, going still. He grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket as he turned me around. When the light from it flashed before my eyes, I winced, the light making my head pound. "Oh, Roza, what have you done?"

"So I drank a little bit, had a little fun. No big deal." I shrugged.

He shook his head, putting his phone away as he did. "'No big deal'? Rose, did you even think about the complications of your drinking at a time like this? You were intoxicated tonight, meaning your reaction time was a lot slower. If that _beast _came for you again…you wouldn't have been able to protect yourself."

"I'm alright." I assured him. "I wasn't alone. There were six of us."

"Oh, so getting the rest of your friends involved is so much better."

It was my turn to shake my head, but I immediately regretted it. The world spun again. "As much as I love getting lectured, do you think we could postpone this one? I feel like an eighteen-wheeler just ran over my head and is getting ready to reverse back on it."

His hand reached out and stroked my hair again, his face going soft. "Of course. You need some sleep. Tomorrow, though –"

"I know, I know." I said, bringing my hand up to lay it on his. "My phone will be on so you can call me and resume the lecture." He smiled, leaning in to give me a kiss. "No! My breath is horrible!"

He laughed, gazing into my eyes. "I really don't care, Rose. I've spent long enough away from those lips."

This time I let him kiss me, trying to forget about my rank breath. I leaned into him, my hands on his chest. His body felt so good. It set me on fire and chilled me at the same time. His hands roamed along my body, too, making me shiver in delight. I'd been waiting for this for what seemed like forever, missing his touch every second that went by. This was so much better than earlier, so much more passionate than it had been with Adrian –

I pulled myself away from Dimitri, automatically feeling guilty. In a snap decision, I realized that Lissa was right. I regretted what I'd done earlier with Adrian, especially because I knew I couldn't hide it from Dimitri. It wouldn't be right to start out our relationship – again – based on lies. So, with a deep breath, I braced myself for what might happen next.

"Dimitri, I have to tell you something. Something that you aren't going to like, but has to be said. I don't ever want to lie to you again." I told him, begging him to understand with my eyes. He obviously had no idea what was coming based on the look on his face. He nodded slowly and backed away from me, letting go of my waist as he did. Reluctantly, I whispered, "I kissed another guy tonight."

The look on his face never changed, but I knew he wasn't happy. How could he be, hearing that I'd been in the arms of another man just hours ago? He sighed, looking down at his hands. "I understand."

"Just give me a chance to explain – what? You understand?" To say I was shocked was an understatement.

"Yes, I understand. You let me know how you feel about me and gave me the time I needed to think things through, without ever calling or texting, or even trying to convince me that this relationship can work. Not knowing what would happen between us… Well, I've been there before." I grimaced at that part. "If alcohol was also in the mix, it doesn't surprise me that you'd go to someone else for comfort. I don't like it, but as long as you can promise that it won't happen again…I understand."

I looked up at him, not being able to believe that I could call this _wonderful _man mine. "I can absolutely promise you that it won't happen again. I love you, Dimitri. I love you so much…" With that, I began babbling, telling him that I'd do anything, _anything _to be with him and keep him safe. I don't even remember everything I said, but it must have started to get bad because Dimitri laughed and pulled away from my reaching arms.

"Roza, you really _are _drunk. You should go inside and get some rest." he told me.

I didn't even bother telling him that I wasn't drunk anymore, that I really meant all those things I'd just told him. It was enough for him to hear it. "You're right. I should head inside."

Suddenly, he stopped, gaze thoughtful. "How long are you staying here?"

"Uh…as long as I want, I guess. My parents know I'm over here and they told me that as long as I called to check in, I could stay until tomorrow night. Why?"

"Well…" he began, clearly not knowing how to go about telling me whatever it was he wanted to. "Seeing as how your parents know you're over here, and it's late so no one will see… Would you like to come to my place?"

My heart stopped as a million thoughts ran through my head. _Dimitri is inviting me to his apartment! We'll be alone together _all _night! _I began nodding, making his face light up, but then I groaned. "Andre."

"What was that?"

"Andre." I repeated louder. "Lissa's brother. He knows I'm supposed to be spending the night. It'll look a little weird if I'm not here tomorrow."

Dimitri smiled, throwing me off for a moment. "Who said you won't be here tomorrow? I was planning on dropping you off here tomorrow morning."

With that, we decided to talk to Lissa about our plan. Dimitri stayed out in the gazebo as I – clumsily – made my way back into the house and upstairs to Lissa's room. She was watching TV, looking like she would fall asleep at any minute, but she shot up when she saw me. "How did it go?"

I gave her a goofy smile and she laughed. "It was amazing. We're back together. But…I have something I want to run by you…"

"What is it?" Her smile had turned into a frown.

"Well, seeing as how my parents think I'll be here until tomorrow night, and your dad isn't here… Dimitri and I wanted to see if you'd cover for us if I went over to his place tonight."

Her eyes widened as she realized what I meant. She shook her head, jumping off the bed as she did. "No, Rose. I'm sorry, but… I completely accepted your relationship with Dimitri, even though it's not exactly…appropriate. But I don't know if I can do _this_. You're still underage, even if only by a few months, and what you're talking about is illegal."

What was she talking about? Everything about me and Dimitri's relationship was wrong in the eyes of others, except Lissa's. She knew how we felt about each other – that this wasn't just about… And that's when it hit me. "Oh my _God_, no!" I shrieked. "You think I want to go off with Dimitri so we can…? Not that I wouldn't enjoy that or anything, but we're not doing this so we can have sex. I don't think I could even if I wanted to. I feel like crap. We just want to spend some time together after so much time apart."

Lissa sighed, relieved. Honestly, I had no idea why she was so concerned about us having sex, but it didn't really matter at that moment. And it wasn't like I was going to run off and tell her about it when it happened. Sure, I'd tell her at some point after I'd lost my virginity, but not _immediately. _That just seemed way too personal to me.

"Alright then." she said, getting back on her bed. "Andre has football practice bright and early tomorrow morning and I'll still be asleep, so he won't notice you're gone. He won't be back until noon for lunch, so make sure you're back before then. My dad isn't supposed to be home until the evening, but if he comes home early like before with Christian, I'll just send you a text and tell him you aren't feeling well to buy you some time."

I ran over and pulled her into my arms, squeezing her tight. "I love you, Liss. Thank you so much."

"What are best friends for?" she asked, squeezing me right back.

[BREAK]

"So _that _was who I'd heard when I called you that night?" I asked, relieved.

Dimitri and I were in his bed – fully clothed, unfortunately – and staring at each other. We were only a couple of inches apart, holding hands. We would've been closer if it weren't for us wanting to be able to see each other. I never realized just how much I loved looking in his eyes until then.

We'd been laying there for about an hour, talking about everything we could think of. He told me about his childhood in Colorado and I told him about mine here in Bozeman, Montana. He'd also told me about visiting Russia, where his family had come from. Hearing him talk about all the wonderful sights there and seeing his face brighten as he talked about the visit made me want to go there with him someday.

He'd also told me that he'd gone back home for the week to think things over. He actually brought the situation to his mother, who completely accepted us. Apparently, Dimitri had never been so into someone that he'd gone to her for advice and she was convinced our relationship was a good thing. He said that she had been a little weary of the age difference between us, but hadn't thought a thing about it again after she listened to him talk about me and realized he was in love with me. It had actually been her who had convinced him to get back together with me. I already liked her.

I'd been getting really sleepy, but remembered something I'd been wanting to ask him for a while: who the female was that was in his apartment when I called him before going to the theater. He'd calmly explained to me that it was his sister, Viktoria, who'd unexpectedly visited him. She was a couple of years younger than me – which was disconcerting, but it apparently didn't bother him – and had gotten their mom, Olena, to drop her off here for a couple of hours while she went shopping with friends.

Dimitri nodded. "I probably should've explained that to you a long time ago, but we never really got the chance to talk about it. I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be. It was mostly my fault, anyway." I shrugged before smiling at him. "She called you something while she was over here… 'Dim'- something? I know it wasn't your name."

He laughed, his eyes sparkling as he did. "'Dimka'," he told me. "It's the Russian nickname for Dimitri. Although we never lived in Russia, we kept up the old family traditions. I can speak Russian fluently."

"Dimka…" I whispered, letting the word roll off my tongue, trying to get a feel for it. "I don't understand how you get that from Dimitri, but alright. Can you say something to me in Russian?"

He smiled, reaching out toward me and brushing my hair back from my face. He said something in Russian, like I'd asked, but I had no idea what he was saying. When he stopped, I gazed at him, wondering what else there was that I didn't know about him. Just when I was about to ask him what he'd said, he continued, blowing me away.

"What did you say?" I asked when he was finished.

"I said, 'You're so beautiful, it hurts me. And I swear I won't let anything hurt you ever again.'"

I'd closed my eyes when he said the first part, a blush creeping up on my cheeks. I loved it when he said things like that to me, but it had sounded that much more special in another language. I felt myself relaxing even more, which surprised me. I'd thought that this might be a little awkward, but it wasn't. As soon as we'd slipped into his apartment, everything felt natural…felt _right_.

"Roza?" Dimitri whispered.

I opened my eyes, not realizing that I was falling asleep. I reached over and cupped his face in my hand, happy that we were laying down face-to-face so it was easier for me to do so. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drift off. You're kind of amazing, you know."

Since I'd let go of his hand to cup his face, he rest his hand on my hip, pulling me closer. He chuckled. "Oh, I think you have us confused. I don't think you even know how amazing you really are. But for now, it's time to sleep."

I groaned, protesting. "No, I don't want to go to sleep! I want to spend every moment we have together here, with you."

"You _will _be with me, Roza. You'll just be asleep. We both need to rest, especially you after the night you've had."

He grabbed my hand, turning me around so that my back was to him before pulling me up against him. I was now in a black tank top and shorts for sleep and Dimitri was wearing flannel pants – which I'd made fun of him for – but no shirt. The skin-on-skin contact was enough to leave me longing for him in ways I'd never longed for anyone before.

I burrowed closer to him, protesting as I did. "But I'm going to feel like crap in the morning."

He laughed, his chest shaking against my back. "You're going to feel bad tomorrow whether you sleep or not, so you might as well get some rest. I'll have something for you in the morning to help with that."

I nodded as we fell into a comfortable silence. Dimitri turned over and flipped the lamp off, which had been the only light in his bedroom until now. I still wanted to stay up and spend all the time I had with him awake, but I knew he was right. I needed sleep if I was going to feel better at all. In fact, I could already feel sleep trying to take me now that it was completely dark.

Before I could drift away, though, I turned around, surprising Dimitri. I brought my lips to his, loving the heat I felt when they collided. He brought his hand up from my hip, caressing my face. The kiss was passionate and gentle at the same time, actually reminding me of Dimitri's personality. After all the years he'd spent learning how to fight, he could take down anyone in his way. But, at the same time, the same hands that could inflict pain touched me so, so delicately.

As we pulled away, gasping for breath, I whispered, "I love you, Dimitri Belikov. More than you could ever know."

He looked deep into my eyes, his own eyes softening as he did. "I love you, too, Roza."

I turned back around, mumbling a goodnight. Just before I fell asleep, I could've sworn I heard him say, "More than the earth, the heavens, and the stars combined."

[BREAK]

I'd been right; I _did _feel like crap when I woke up. I was groggy as well, but I took in everything around me, remembering the night before and how it had been so perfect.

Dimitri's bedroom had tan painted walls with white trim. His floor was made out of wood, but I didn't know what kind it was. I'd already proved I didn't know a thing about wood from my encounter with Fink. There was a dresser and fireplace to my left, a bedside table and closet to my right. If I went past the fireplace, I could go into the bathroom from the doorway there, which was decorated in the same tan color as Dimitri's bedroom and was spotless.

I stretched and yawned, rubbing the bridge of my nose as I did. My head was pounding and my stomach was still upset with me for all of those shots last night. I was debating what order I should do things – medicine, bathroom, food or bathroom, food, medicine – when I realized something was wrong.

I shot up, turning around to find Dimitri wasn't there. I hopped out of bed, momentarily distracted from my headache, and ran forward into the doorway that led to the living room. It consisted of a couch, a loveseat, and two chairs set around a glass table. There was a large, flat-screen TV on one wall. Last night I'd asked Dimitri how he could afford all of this on a counselor's income and he'd told me that he also had a trust fund that his grandmother – Yeva, he'd called her – had set up for him when he was born. After all the years of interest, it'd generated a lot of money.

But I didn't pay attention to any of that now. I immediately ran to the doorway on my right, to the kitchen. My heart automatically slowed down as I spotted Dimitri at his kitchen island, arranging plates of food on the counter. He hadn't changed out of his flannel pants, but he'd put on a loose black shirt.

"Hey, what gives?" I asked, coming around the island to him.

He automatically wrapped his arms around me when I reached him, kissing the top of my forehead. "What? I thought you'd like breakfast."

I shook my head. "No, not _that_, but thank you. Why do you have a shirt on?"

"It's a little hard to cook bacon with your shirt off." he told me, laughing. "Grease splatters hurt."

I'd finally calmed down from the fear of his disappearance, so my head was starting to hurt again. I snuggled into his chest, wanting to bury myself in his arms and forget the pain. He must've realized I was in pain, then, because he pulled my head up by the bottom of my chin so he could get a good look at me. "I look horrible, I know."

He shook his head. "No, you look _beautiful_. Let's see if we can get you feeling that way."

Dimitri made me sit down at his kitchen table as he made me a plate of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and toast. The food smelled good, but I was hesitant to eat, my stomach still not agreeing with me. He sat a glass of coffee down in front of me before getting his own plate and coffee. We ate in silence, but it was comfortable, our feet mingling together under the table.

When we were finished, Dimitri took our plates to the sink, grabbing a glass that had been on the counter that was filled with some brownish liquid and handing it to me. "Here, drink this. It'll help with your hangover."

"Does it taste as disgusting as it looks?" I asked, frowning at the glass.

He laughed. "It's not great, but it's not that bad. Either way, it'll get rid of the pounding in your head. Just drink it down. Do it all in one big gulp that way it's easier going down."

I obeyed, not actually tasting the concoction until I'd already swallowed it all. The full impact of the flavor hit me as I breathed in and a shudder went through my body. It tasted a little bit like whiskey, but with a sour edge to it. Even so, I'd already started to feel better.

Dimitri must have noticed because he smiled. "Feeling better already?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that stuff works. What's in it?"

"Family secret." he said with a smirk I'd never seen on him before. Again it hit me just how wonderful it was to be here with him, all alone together.

After that, I went to the bathroom before going back to the kitchen and helping Dimitri with the dishes despite his protests. As we worked – him washing and me drying – we talked more. We had a wide variety of topics we talked about, like what type of breeds of dogs we liked and what our favorite desserts were.

When we were done with the dishes, some of my hair fell into my face, causing me to catch a whiff of it and grimace. "I need to take a shower. Would it be alright…?" I asked, looking up at him while he dried his hands.

"Of course, but there isn't any shampoo or soap that you can use without going back home smelling like me." He smiled, pulling me into his arms. "I'll just run over to the shop down the street and get some for you. Do you have a particular brand you like?"

I started to shake my head, but stopped. "_I _don't, but Lissa does and my parents will notice if I don't come home smelling like her. She's been using the same shampoo and conditioner since we were little."

"What is it, then?"

I told him what kinds to get and ran to the bedroom, grabbing some money out of my bag. When I gave it to Dimitri, he started to protest, but I made him take it. He'd already done so much for me – including paying _three hundred dollars _to give me private self-defense lessons – that I couldn't let him buy anything else for me.

It turned out that the shop he was talking about wasn't that far because he'd been gone less than ten minutes before returning. I'd busied myself looking at all of his family pictures. Dimitri had a _lot _of family and I wondered if I'd ever be able to remember all of their names.

As he handed me the bag with all my stuff in it, he gave me a quick kiss on the lips. "Make it quick. We only have two more hours and I want to spend every minute I can with you."

A thought suddenly occurred to me and I blushed uncontrollably. I turned my head, willing my hair to fall in my face and hide it, but Dimitri had already caught on. Brushing my cheek, he said, "What's this for?"

I kept my gaze at the floor, telling myself that – no matter _what _he did to try and get it out of me – I wouldn't tell him. "Nothing." I shrugged.

"Alright, then." he told me, laughing. "If you say so. Go on and get your shower, Roza. I'll be here when you're done."

Before I hopped into the shower, I grabbed my phone and sent a text to my mom, letting her know that everything was okay.

Dimitri's shower was big for his bathroom. It was a walk-in shower that had two shower heads on each side of it. I only turned on one, though, not knowing if I needed to save some hot water for Dimitri to take a shower with. I washed my hair before lathering up my body, my mind slipping away into thoughts.

I wondered if Dimitri was thinking about the fact that I was naked in his apartment right now. I knew that if he had been naked – anywhere that I was – I would definitely be wondering about him. I didn't give it too much thought, though. If I did… Well, I just couldn't.

I'd made sure to do as he said and make my shower quick. But, as I stepped out of it, wrapping one of the towels that was lying in a stack next to the shower around my body, I realized that I hadn't brought more clothes in with me. In my haste to send my mom a text and get in the shower, I'd totally forgotten to grab my fresh clothes.

I picked up my nightwear, which was still on the ground, and sniffed it. I grimaced. I guessed that the alcohol smell that had lingered on my party dress had stuck around on my body, making my tank top and shorts smell like it, too. Not only that, but there was an underlying smell of sweat in them, too. I knew I'd been sweating last night, but not nearly that bad. I turned beet red, wondering how Dimitri could've missed how badly I'd smelled. But, of course, he probably had and was just too sweet to tell me.

I debated on whether or not I should put my old clothes on for just a moment while I grabbed my new clothes, but I didn't want any of the smell to linger on me, especially because I had to go home later. Taking a deep breath and steeling myself, I decided to just go for it.

I opened the bathroom door, my towel still wrapped around me, barely covering my body. I shivered as the cold air hit me because I was still wet. I'd hoped I could make it around the bed, grab my clothes, and dart back into the bathroom without Dimitri seeing me, but that was impossible now…because he was laying on the bed.

He was reading a western novel – something I'd learned he enjoyed a lot – but glanced up when I opened the door. "Feel bet –" He immediately stopped talking when he saw me. His eyes slowly looked me up and down, taking in every detail. The blush I'd had earlier returned, but I knew he wasn't paying attention to that.

"I, uh, forgot my clothes." I explained before starting to walk around the bed. I never got to my bag.

Dimitri had gotten up as I began walking and had his arm around me before I'd even registered he'd moved. "Roza," he whispered, eyes never leaving my body. He gulped before he could go on. "You're playing with fire, coming out here like that."

I wanted to laugh, but, seeing the way he was looking at me, I couldn't. "See something you like?" I whispered right back.

"Oh, _very _much."

As his lips came down on mine, the entire world was nothing but Dimitri. I wrapped my arms around his neck, completely forgetting about the towel that covered my body. It slipped to the floor, but I didn't care. All I could think about was how much I wanted this. That sneaky little voice whispered, _You made a promise to Lissa! _but I wasn't paying attention. Nothing else mattered except Dimitri and the way he held me so close.

He broke away from me, his breathing ragged. "We shouldn't…" He trailed off as he looked down, seeing my naked body in front of him. My heart was pounding like it was about to jump right out of my chest. I held my breath, waiting for him to say something, but he didn't. He just…stared.

I was suddenly extremely and terrifyingly self-conscious, something I had never used to describe myself before. The way he was staring at me, taking me in, made me think he could see right into my very soul. I broke away from him, bending down to grab the towel, but he wrapped his fingers around my wrist, stopping me.

"No," he whispered.

I stared up at him, a shiver going through my body, making my legs feel like jelly. "No?"

For one more second, he took all of me in his gaze. "No."

I was off my feet before I knew it, his lips crashing into mine again. I was vaguely aware that we were moving, but I couldn't pay any attention to it. Dimitri controlled all of my attention, his body so close to mine. He set me down on his big, fluffy bed gently, holding himself over me by my shoulders. He looked into my eyes for only an instant, but I knew what he was trying to say with that look. _Are you sure?_

"Yes," I whispered immediately, no hesitation whatsoever. I knew what I wanted and I wanted it now.

His clothes were gone in less than a minute, but he stopped once they were all off, letting me take in his naked body the way I'd let him. He was beautiful, his body filled with incredible strength. I could see more of his muscles than I'd ever seen before and let me tell you…he looked like a _god_.

Once he'd let me completely see him, though, he was back to business, kissing from my neck down to my stomach. I was a little worried that he would go further than that – I'd never had _anyone _down there before – but he didn't, probably realizing that it would make me nervous.

He came back up, kissing me on the lips once more before pulling away. "You're absolutely sure?" he whispered, eyes locked on mine. "You have _no _doubts about this?"

My breath caught in my throat from all the emotions running through me, mostly nervousness. I'd heard that the first time a girl had sex, it hurt, and I was a little scared of the pain. But the hunger I felt for Dimitri overpowered that fear and I nodded.

Dimitri nodded right back, reaching over to his nightstand's drawer and opening it. He retrieved a condom from inside, sitting back up to remove it from the package. When he looked at me and saw what I thought was passion written all over my face, he chuckled. "Safety first."

"Of course," I replied, finding my voice. This was really happening. I couldn't believe it. I felt like pinching myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, but I didn't want to take away from the joy I was feeling right now. Anyway, why _would _I want to wake from a dream this good?

Once we had protection covered, it didn't take long.

Yes, it did hurt, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would. It was tolerable, especially because it didn't last that long. The pain went away as we rocked together, the feeling of it so foreign and new to me. It felt odd for a few minutes after that, but I really didn't care. This wasn't so much for the pleasure as it was just to be this close to him, to merge as one.

But, as the minutes ticked by, it _did _turn to pleasure. A small moan escaped my lips as I grabbed the back of his shoulders.

"Are you okay?" he asked me, voice filled with concern.

I nodded, looking at him hungrily. "More than okay."

With that said, we totally let go. Everything after that was a blur of ecstasy. Dimitri's hands roamed all over my body, soft and hard at the same time. At one point, he rolled over, putting me on top and letting me take control.

"Oh, _Roza_," he moaned. I smiled, loving the fact that I could make him feel this good.

When he reached his peak, he brought me with him, sending me high above the clouds. It was amazing; like nothing I had ever experienced before. Small aftershocks went through my body, making me jolt. When I did, it sent the aftershocks into Dimitri, making him moan a few more times.

I collapsed next to him, a giant smile on my face. He reached over, putting an arm around my shoulders and bringing my head to rest on his chest. We were both sticky and sweaty, but it didn't matter. As we lay there, trying to catch our breath, he whispered, "I love you _so _much, Roza."

I gulped, willing the prickling in my eyes to go away. I would _not _cry right now, not when everything was so perfect. I took a deep breath, gaining control of myself. "I love you, too, Dimitri. I love you, too."

I'm not sure how long we stayed like that. If it weren't for the fact that I had to get back to Lissa's, we probably would have taken a nap, not bothering to put our clothes on. I knew I was exhausted – especially because I'd only gotten four hours of sleep – but Dimitri had this glow about him that made it hard to tell if he was tired or not.

With a groan, I rolled over, not really wanting this moment to end, but knowing it had to. Dimitri looked over at me. "What are you doing?"

"Checking my phone." I replied, a little distracted at how my body felt post-sex. I was sore all over, not just in my most sensitive area, which I hadn't expected. Honestly, it didn't matter right then. "I need to check what time it is."

"Okay," Dimitri sighed, his eyes still taking in my naked body. I hadn't known how he would look at me after sex, but I was glad to see that he was still in awe. "That was…absolutely amazing."

I smiled, temporarily forgetting my phone and turning back to him. "Eh, I've had better." The look on his face was priceless. I suddenly wished I had my cell phone camera up so I could get a picture of it. "Easy there, comrade. I'm just joking. It was amazing for me, too." My voice softened on the last part.

He laughed, running his hand along my right cheek. "I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?"

I shook my head, smiling. "No, you didn't hurt me. Much." He didn't seem pleased at hurting me at all, but he must have known it would happen. A thought popped into my mind and I went with it, deciding it wasn't a problem anymore. "You know what I was thinking of earlier? When I blushed?"

He shook his head, taking my hand in his. "What?"

"I thought…if you wanted to spend every moment you could with me, you could just get in the shower with me. Now, I kind of wish you had." I explained, looking away from him.

He tilted my head to look back at him and smiled. "We'll have to keep that in mind for next time."

My smile widened when he said that. "Definitely."

With another sigh, I turned back to my phone, wondering if it was past noon. I honestly had no idea how much time had gone by while we made love. I was still on cloud nine when I opened my phone, seeing that I had two text messages.

I opened the first one, seeing it was a multimedia message. I left it on Dimitri's nightstand to load as I grabbed my new clothes and went to the bathroom. When I came out, the message had been loaded and I opened it.

My blood ran cold. It was from a blocked number, just like the text I'd received after Mason's funeral, but that wasn't what nearly made my heart stop. It was the picture. A picture of Dimitri and I in Lissa's gazebo, wrapped in each other's arms.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Dimitri asked, sitting down next to me and kissing my neck. He was fully dressed now and had a soda in his hand, I guessed to replenish his energy. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

I silently held my phone out to him. When he saw the picture, everything about his expression went hard. He was silent a few moments more, but then turned to me. "Who sent that to you?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. It's from a blocked number."

"So it could be from _anyone_?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Yes, but…" I stopped, looking at the picture again. "I got a text message from a blocked number just after Mason's funeral. It had told me to watch my back, but I didn't pay any attention to it at the time. Then I got attacked. So I'm thinking…"

His eyes went wide. "Your attackers are the ones who took this?"

I nodded. I scrolled down from the picture, seeing that there was text written underneath it. _Come clean or face the consequences._

I showed it to Dimitri and he scowled. "'Come clean', my ass." It was the first time I'd heard him say anything like that. Under normal circumstances, it would've been funny, but it wasn't right then. "Don't worry about a thing, Rose. I'll make sure they don't get _anywhere _near you."

I nodded, getting out of that message to open the other one. This time my heart began to race instead of chill. "Uh, Dimitri…?"

I gave him my phone again. When he read it and who it was from, he went completely still.

It was from my mom.

_Where __**are **__you?!_

**REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW! Please :D**


	11. Mortifying Monday

**Thank you for all the amazing reviews/favs/follows! I'm really glad you enjoyed that last chapter. It was a lot of fun writing it, too. You're all way too awesome! :) Well, here we go. Also, I'm going to put these lines in here to separate my notes from the story just so that it'll be a little easier to read.  
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I bounced up and down in my seat, my heart racing. I felt like every muscle in my body would melt from the tension that was coiled inside of me. _What are we going to do? _I thought desperately. I'd just gotten Dimitri back! There was no way I was going to lose him again, especially after what had just happened.

I stared out the passenger's side window of Dimitri's car, wringing my hands together. They were sweaty, but I hardly noticed. We'd come up with a plan to tell my parents – a plan I'd texted to Liss so she could cover for us – but we didn't know if it would work or not.

"Relax, Rose." Dimitri told me, eyes on the road. We were dangerously close to my house now. "Everything is going to be okay."

I turned to him, shocked. "How can you say that? We're _this _close," I gestured with my index finger and thumb, keeping them a couple centimeters apart, "to getting busted! God, I hope Lissa got my text in time."

His face looked grim as he replied. "I'm sure she did…" The look on his face told me he thought otherwise. We were going to have to do a lot of fast talking to get out of this one.

As we pulled up to the curb in front of my house, I felt like I was going to have a panic attack. I told Dimitri so. "I mean, if they find out… You could lose your job. You could go to jail! Your whole life will be ruined!"

He stopped me, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You need to listen to me, Roza. Everything will be alright. _We _won't get in trouble as long as we stick to the plan. Understand?"

"Oh my God, you won't even _have _a chance to go to jail. The old man will kill you before that happens…"

"Rose!" he exclaimed, putting his other hand on my other shoulder and shaking me gently. "Have you heard a word I've said? We. Will. Be. Okay."

I felt my face turn into a frown, my bottom lip wanting to pucker out a little. "I'm scared, Dimitri. Scared for you, for _us_. Even if my parents believe us, what's stopping those people who nearly killed me from giving away our secret?"

He shook his head, gazing steadily into my eyes. "I won't let anyone hurt you." It was the only reassurance he could give me.

We got out of the car and up to my house. I grasped the knob, but it wouldn't turn. I pulled my keys out of my bag and put them in the lock, wondering why the door was locked if my parents were home. I soon realized that they _weren't _home.

I invited Dimitri inside, grabbing my cell phone as I did. I called my mom.

"Rose!" she gasped when she answered. "Where are you?! We came by Lissa's this morning to pick you up, but you weren't here. What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, mom." I assured her. "I'm just not feeling all that great."

"Where are you?! We've been searching everywhere for you!"

I shook my head, gazing at Dimitri's back as he looked at pictures of me growing up on the wall. His touch was even gentle when he was just brushing a picture of me. "I'm at home. Mr. Belikov gave me a lift. I'll explain –"

"We're on our way." she quickly interrupted before hanging up. Nothing to do now but wait.

I walked over to where Dimitri was standing, his hand still on the frame of my picture. It had been taken when I was about four or five years old. I had on blue jeans and a pink jacket. My tennis shoes were white with pink roses all over them because my mom had been obsessed with dressing me in rose-patterned things. I was in the middle of a laugh, my eyes closed.

I actually remembered that day. Not too well, because I was little, but enough to know where we were and what we'd been doing. There was a stream next to me and I was standing in mud, but didn't really care. A huge rock was to my left, woods to the left of that. I sighed, getting Dimitri's attention.

"That was the last trip my parents and I took all together, as a family. We went to Oklahoma, staying in an RV that my dad rented. That stream next to me flows all the way to Texas, even though it looks so small. This was taken right before I'd stepped in a huge mud puddle. It took one of my shoes off when my parents pulled me out and we weren't able to find it again." I laughed, remembering what a fit my mom had thrown.

He looked at it a moment more before turning back to face me. "You were beautiful even then."

I shook my head. "No, I actually think I was much prettier back then than I am now. Everything was so easy then. I hadn't had a care in the world."

"Have you been seeing Mason since the last time we talked?" he asked, snapping me out of my memories.

"I haven't really been paying attention, but no. Every now and then, I catch a faint glimmer of…something in the corner of my eye, but it hasn't been Mason, as far as I know. Actually, it probably is him. Now that I think about it, that glimmer only shows up when I talk about him." I explained.

Speak of the devil. Mason appeared beside Dimitri and I, his form flickering in and out. Dimitri noticed where I was looking and understood immediately. He grabbed my hand for a heartbeat, saying, "I'll just go outside and wait for your parents." But I knew what he really meant. He was giving me time to say goodbye, for good.

"Thank you." I whispered as he turned to leave. I turned to Mason when the door shut. "So, I guess this is goodbye…"

Mason nodded, looking sad. It occurred to me that he only acted and looked the way he did because my mind had made him that way. Sometimes I could be a bitch, even to myself. "Yeah, it is."

"Mase –"

He put his hand up, signaling me to stop. "I already know. I'm really a part of _you_, remember?"

It was my turn to nod. Tears were prickling in my eyes. "Even so, I wish it didn't have to be this way. Can you just…pretend that you really _are_ him for a minute? Please?"

"I can do anything you want me to." he replied. Without needed me to tell him, he stepped forward and gave me a hug. He didn't feel as warm as he had before, but it didn't matter. Even having an imaginary Mason there was enough. "I love you, Rose. And I'll miss you."

A tear slipped down my cheek, leaving me feeling cold. How had I gone from being so euphoric this morning to so miserable right now? When I heard the sound of a car pulling in our driveway, I broke away from him. "Will you be okay?"

"Who, me?" He winked, giving me a genuine Mason smile this time. "I'll be fine. It's you I'm worried about, with everything that happened. But I can rest easier, knowing you have Belikov to protect you."

I smiled back at him. "That sounds a little like something the real Mason would say."

He shrugged. "Maybe I can channel the real Mason. Who knows?"

"I love you, Mase." I told him, serious again. "I hope I get to see you again someday."

"Oh, I'm sure you will. And when you do, I'll have a _lot _to say about your new boyfriend."

With one last smirk, Mason faded away for the last time. Another tear slipped down my cheek, but then I heard something that made my heart swell in my chest. If there had been any noise in the house, I probably wouldn't have heard it. "Don't be a pansy…"

I wiped my face, a kind of half-laugh, half-sob escaping my lips. I could now hear my parents in the front yard, talking to Dimitri. My guess was that he was stalling them to give me a little more time. I took in a quick, shaky breath, running to the downstairs bathroom to splash some cold water on my face.

My parents walked in as I came out. When they caught sight of me, they both ran forward, surprising me when they took me in both their arms.

"I am never, ever letting you out of my sight again." the old man told me, his voice stern. That shocked me so much that I couldn't even reply. Hadn't he been saying my mom was babying me this whole time when she did stuff like that?

I finally got my voice back and, in my true nature, gave him a smartass remark. "Hypocrite."

With that, things got back to semi-normal. We all – including Dimitri – sat down at the kitchen table as my parents demanded what happened to me. I caught Dimitri's gaze and he nodded so slightly that only I'd been able to see it. With a deep breath, I launched into the story we'd come up with.

"Well, last night I got sick. I went to bed, hoping I would feel better in the morning, but I didn't. For some reason, I decided to go get breakfast this morning when I woke up. I didn't really think anything of it at the time, probably because I had a bad headache. Oh, and that was another thing I needed, medicine. Lissa was out of pain relievers.

"After that, everything's kind of a blur. I was walking slowly to the donut shop in town because my head had started to pound even harder than before. Before I knew it, everything started to sway. The next thing I knew, I was being woken up by Mr. Belikov."

Dimitri took over. "I'd gone out this morning to go grab the morning paper when I saw Rose laying down in the middle of the sidewalk. I'd thought that maybe she'd gotten hurt again, so I ran over to see if she was okay. She was, but she couldn't think straight. She kept saying something about medicine and how hot she was, so I brought her into my apartment complex and sat her down in the lobby where there was air conditioning.

"I brought her some medicine from my apartment and sat down with her to make sure she was okay. She dozed off every now and then, but the medicine eventually kicked in and she came back to her senses. She'd had no idea how she got there."

My turn again. "I really didn't. It felt like one second, I was outside and the next, I was in some strange building with Mr. Belikov. He explained to me what happened. I think that being sick and the heat made me pass out. After that, he told me that I needed to eat something, so he ran down to the donut shop while I cooled down in the lobby some more. We ate and that's when I got the text from you."

My mom shook her head. "But what about the text you sent me? You said you were okay."

Shit. I'd forgotten about that. Dimitri couldn't save me from this one, but luckily I was thinking on my toes today. I gave her a confused look, which wasn't too hard. "I did? I don't remember…"

Dimitri stepped in. "What time did it say the text was sent?"

My mom grabbed her purse and looked around until she found her phone. She handed it to Dimitri, telling him that she didn't know how the damn thing worked. It was true – my parents had only just now started to learn how to text because of my incident.

"It says that she sent it a little after ten this morning. I found her at almost eleven, so it fits the time frame." Dimitri shrugged.

"Well," my dad began, pouring everyone cups of coffee at the counter. "I can tell you one thing, Rosemarie. You are grounded until further notice."

I snapped my head up to look at him. "Grounded? Why?! I didn't do anything wrong."

My eyes locked with Dimitri's for a split second, but it was long enough for me know what he'd say if we were alone right now. _Let it go, _that look said. _We just got away with it. Being grounded is a small price to pay._

My mom got up to help my dad bring the coffee mugs to the table. "You worried us to death and that is why you're grounded." She turned to Dimitri. "Would you like some milk or sugar? We have creamer as well." Dimitri politely declined and she focused her attention back on me, her face softening. "Sweetheart, this isn't a punishment, so much as it is for your protection. We now know that even sleeping over at Lissa's isn't safe enough."

"But you can't keep me holed up here forever out of fear." I explained, thinking I'd made a really good point.

My dad, apparently, thought otherwise. "No, but we can certainly keep you here until the police find out who tried to kill you."

And with that, I knew this discussion was over and that I was grounded. Indefinitely.

[BREAK]

"Thank you for your hospitality." Dimitri told my parents as he stood in the doorway of our front door.

Everything had worked out alright, except for me being grounded. Lissa got my text, but, fortunately, we didn't really need her to know about our plan. She'd already told my parents that morning that I hadn't been there when she woke up, so it worked out for everyone. She'd told them that she thought I'd already gone home because I was feeling bad the night before. I hadn't talked to her yet, but I wondered if she was gaining some sort of new psychic power.

After the talk with my parents, they'd invited Dimitri to stay for dinner. At first he told them he couldn't stay, but – after their protests, "It's the least we can do for you saving our daughter. Twice." and seeing the look on my face, begging him to stay – he finally told them that he needed to go home and take care of few things before coming back for dinner.

I'd lounged around while he was gone, going down to the kitchen to help my mom prepare lasagna, homemade garlic bread, and salad. When he finally got back, we sat down at the kitchen table and had dinner together for the second time. This time, though, there was no awkwardness. I sat there, looking around my table, thinking that it couldn't get any better than this.

But dinner was over now and he had to go back home.

"It was our pleasure." my mom replied, putting her arm around my dad. "You're welcome to come back anytime."

Dimitri smiled at her, looking genuinely pleased. "Thank you, I'll make sure to keep that in mind. Goodnight." After my parents chorused their goodnights, Dimitri looked straight at me, careful to mask his face. "Goodnight, Rose. I'll see you at school."

"Okay, see you." I replied, trying to sound like I was talking to Fink instead of Dimitri. It must've worked because my parents didn't suspect a thing. "Goodnight."

As soon as the door was shut, my dad murmured, "Alright, I'll admit it. He's one of the good ones."

"Told you." my mom replied with a smile on her face.

I told them that I was going upstairs to do some of my makeup work – they had no idea that I'd already finished it all – and ran off to my room. I listened through the door for a minute or two, trying to determine that they weren't spying on me. When I heard the sound of dishes clanking around, I grabbed my phone and flopped down on my bed, dialing Lissa's number.

She picked up on the first ring. "Oh my God, what happened?!"

I explained everything to her, telling her not to worry about it. When I finally got her to calm down and answered all of her questions, I dropped the bomb on her. "Liss, I got another text from a blocked number, but this time… This time there was a picture attached to it. One of me and Dimitri."

She gasped. "What? How?"

"I don't know." I breathed. Just talking about it scared me half to death. "It was taken outside your gazebo last night, when Dimitri and I were hugging. It looks…really intimate."

"What are you going to do?" Lissa asked.

A small, hysterical laugh rolled up and out of my throat. "Again, I don't know. The message said that we needed to come clean or 'face the consequences'."

She didn't say anything for a moment. "Okay, here's the deal: I think you and Dimitri should spend some time apart. Wait and hear me out before you say anything. If whoever it is notices you two aren't with each other as often – which they will because they're obviously stalking you – they might think that you told your parents and they made you stop seeing each other."

I was going to protest even after she'd said to hear her out, but I stopped, thinking about it. "Actually, that might just work. Liss, you're a genius."

"Tell me something I don't know."

I rolled my eyes, telling her that I had to get off the phone so I could call Dimitri and let him know about the plan. We said our goodbyes and I did as I told her I would.

It came as a shock that Dimitri was even more frustrated than I was when I told him about the plan. "Why do things like this keep happening? It's going to be unbearable being away from you. Especially after…"

He didn't need to finish. Flashes of our time spent together in his bed, our bare skin coming together, flew before my eyes and I sighed. "I know, but it's for the best. And it'll actually be much harder for me than it is for you, though. I have something I need you to do."

"No matter what task you put me on, Roza, it will _always _be harder on me. What do you need me to do?"

"Well, for starters, we need to cancel our lessons in Helena. We'll still train, we'll just have to do it in the gym or over here at my house. We won't have all that equipment to use, and I'm sorry about wasting your money, but I think this is more important right now." I explained.

I didn't need to see him to know he was nodding. "No, it's alright. You're right about that. Besides, we don't need all of that equipment anyway. I'm going to focus on teaching you hand-to-hand combat from now on. You're already a fast enough runner, so we can forget about running for now."

"Alright. Maybe we can use the track to practice if we can't find anywhere else. Anyway, I'm going to talk to Eddie and Christian, see if they'll help us."

"You aren't going to tell them about us, are you?" Dimitri asked, clearly skeptical.

I rolled my eyes. "Have a little more faith in me, comrade. No, I'm going to tell them what they need to know, that's all. Basically, I'll tell them that I think I'm being followed and that I need their help looking out for anyone acting suspicious. That's also where you come in. Instead of us being actually together, would you mind following me around? You'd have to stay away from me so it doesn't look like we're up to anything, but I thought that if someone is stalking me we could catch them by having someone else stalking me.

"I know, it sounds weird. But if you stay a distance away from me and just watch what's going on around us, you might be able to find out who this is when you notice them following me everywhere." I concluded.

There was a long pause and I actually looked at my phone to make sure it hadn't disconnected. "Hello?" I asked.

There was a mumble before Dimitri answered. "Yes, I'm here. That sounds like a good plan. I'm proud of you, Roza."

"Well, thank you. It's nice to have my genius acknowledged." I stopped when I heard a sound over the phone again. "What are you doing over there?"

He laughed, but it sounded funny. "Sorry, I'm eating." he informed me after a moment of silence.

"Eating?" I asked, confused. "But we just had dinner."

"I know. I'm having cookies."

For some reason, that had me bursting into hysterical giggles. I could hear Dimitri saying something over the phone, but I couldn't tell what he was saying. I was too busy rolling around on my bed. I put the phone to my ear and heard, "…they're delicious…" I burst into laughter again, this time rolling around a little _too _much because I fell on the floor. I was stunned for a minute, but then began laughing even harder.

"Hey!" I heard my dad yell from my parents' room. "Keep it down in there! I thought you were doing homework!"

I just barely got myself under control enough to yell back, "Sorry! I fell off the bed!"

"You what?" Dimitri asked when I put the phone back to my ear. "Fell off your bed?"

I still had a giant grin on my face as I told him, "Yes. But it's not nearly as funny as you eating _cookies _as we plan to take down my stalker."

We talked for another half hour – about the plan, us, my stalker…but mostly us and how we would miss being around each other. Reluctantly, I told him that I loved him and had to get to bed. He assured me that he loved me too and wished me sweet dreams before we hung up.

The plan was made. Now, we just had to get it in motion.

[BREAK]

It proved harder than I thought to get the guys to help me out. Christian gave in first, with some help from Lissa. Eddie, on the other hand, didn't like our plan and thought we should go to the police.

"We can't go to the police." I explained to him. "They've already done everything they can. It's up to us, now. If we tell them, they'll probably get someone to stay around me all the time, and my stalker won't stay around if they see that."

Eddie shook his head, exasperated. "I don't know. I feel like if we do this on our own, it has a greater chance of backfiring. If we got the police to help, whoever it is will stop following you, right? They'll get scared and back off."

We were standing in the middle of the foyer in our school. The first bell had already rung and the rest of our friends had gone off to class. I wished Mia had stayed so she could talk some sense into him – she was all in, which surprised me – but she hadn't.

"No, they won't." I was trying not to get too upset with him. "They attacked me in a crowded theater! If the police get involved, they'll just wait around until they get the chance to get me."

I took hold of his hands, making him look me in the eyes. He sighed. "Look, that won't happen. The police know what they're doing. They won't let anything happen to you."

"They already have." I growled. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Like I said before, I was attacked _again_. If the police had been doing their job, that never would have happened."

Just as Eddie looked like he was going to give in, Ms. Amos came up to us, a look of concern on her face. "Is everything alright over here?"

My teeth automatically ground together. Not only had this woman tried to make a move on Dimitri, but now she was interrupting at the crucial moment of our conversation. Standing there, looking at her, I couldn't believe I'd ever liked her.

"We're fine." Eddie assured her, giving her a smile. "We were just about to head to class." He turned to me. "We'll talk later, Rose."

I did nothing but stand there as he left, seriously wishing I could hit that woman in the head.

"Are _you _okay, Rose?" she asked.

I told her that I was perfectly alright, proud of myself for not _actually _hitting her, before going off to my locker.

I grumbled to myself the whole way, wishing I could just magically fix all the problems in my life. Most girls my age only had to worry about who they were going to prom with or what color they should dye their hair. Not me, no. I had to worry about a psycho killer coming after me.

I was still mad as I opened my locker. I was one of the last people in the hallway – it was practically deserted – as people scurried off to class, not wanting to be late. When I got my locker completely open, though, all of my anger dissipated. I was suddenly very, _very _thankful that I was the only one around…

…because there were pictures of me and Dimitri covering the entire inside of my locker. I quickly shut it, not even bothering to get my books out. How had they gotten into my locker? How had they even known which one was mine?! My mind reeled and I suddenly felt like I was going to pass out. I leaned against the lockers for support, taking deep gulps of air. I hadn't noticed the black edge around my vision until it started to disappear.

About three hours later, I was in Dimitri's office, telling him about what happened.

"How did they do it, Dimitri? How could they get in here with all those pictures without a single person seeing?" I asked, desperate.

He thought about it for a minute before speaking. "You're certain that the man who attacked you isn't in school?" When I nodded, he kept going. "Well, then it looks like we're dealing with someone who has connections. They either have a way of getting into the school or got someone to do it for them."

We decided to keep our "sessions" short, so we couldn't talk any longer about it right then. Instead, I hurried to lunch, where I whispered what had happened to Lissa. She did a good job of hiding her emotions, but I could tell that she was scared to death, scared for me.

Eddie finally agreed to help us out with some assistance from Mia. I could tell he didn't like getting involved, so I decided that I would do something special for him to show my appreciation. I told Lissa as much as we walked down the hall to our fourth period class.

"You know how Eddie has wanted that camera for so long?" I asked her.

She pulled some chap stick out of her purse and applied it while nodding. "Yeah, he's been talking nonstop about it for a year. How could I not know that?"

"Well, I was thinking we should put our money together and get it for him."

"How are we going to do that? That camera is, like, a thousand dollars. Our allowances definitely won't cover that." she told me.

"I know," I replied, a smile on my face. "But I have some money saved up from my birthday last year. My mom's friend Natalie gave me seven hundred dollars."

Lissa glanced over at me, skeptical. "That's a lot of money for a friend of your mom to give you."

Before I could answer, I noticed that we'd made it to my locker. Lissa noticed my silence and looked around, probably wondering what had just happened. She lightly reached out and touched my shoulder, but only for a second. I frowned at her. "I thought you said you would only do that when you need to."

She hesitated before answering. "Yeah, I did. I'm sorry. I guess I'm just getting too used to reading your emotions when I don't know what's up with you."

"I've been telling you everything that's going on with me."

She shook her head. "No, you haven't. I only knew about…" She glanced around, making sure no one heard us. "…you know who because I read it from your emotions. That's also how I know – "

Suddenly, Lissa stopped talking. She bit her lip, her eyes going wide. "What?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. "What else do you know?"

"Uh…nothing." When I did nothing but stare at her, she continued, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine, I'll tell you. I know you lied to me the other night. I _felt _what you did. I don't know how, but I did. And I'm not impressed. With either of you."

I felt the blood rushing into my cheeks. "Liss…"

"I don't want to hear it." she told me in a voice that meant she was serious. She turned to my locker. "Have you been to your locker since you opened it this morning?"

I shook my head. "No, I was too scared. I've been sharing books with people all morning."

"Well, go ahead and show me."

I was going to protest, but she gave me a look that meant she wasn't playing games. I sighed as I motioned for her to come around the side of my locker. I was only going to crack it open for her to see, but when I opened it, there were no pictures. "What the…?"

"I thought you said the pictures were all over the inside of your locker." she whispered.

I grabbed the book I needed for my next class. "They were." I shut my locker. "Someone got into my locker and took them down. So Dimitri was right. Whoever has been tormenting me has someone in the school helping them."

The bell rang then. "Crap. We'll talk later." she told me before running off to class.

[BREAK]

"That was better, but you need to be faster if you actually want to kick someone." Dimitri said as I got back into my guard stance.

We'd been in the gym for the past thirty minutes. Fink gave Dimitri permission to teach me how to defend myself here, as long as the volleyball team wasn't using it. He'd also made me promise – in writing – that I wouldn't use what Dimitri taught me against anyone at school. I honestly couldn't blame him.

I thought that there was no way we'd be able to use the gym because of the volleyball team, but it turned out that they actually only practice in the gym twice a week. The rest of the week, they used a volleyball court at the Hacienda, a country club on the outside of town. I'd talked to Sabrina Belle – the captain of the volleyball team – and she told me that it was a sand court. Her coach wanted them to use that court instead of the one in the gym because it was harder to play on a sand court, therefore making it easier to win their games.

Dimitri was teaching me to do a roundhouse kick. I'd done it what felt like a million times already, but it still wasn't good enough for him. When I was younger, my parents put me in gymnastics, which I hated. I was glad now, though, because it made it easier for me to do the kick. I was actually able to kick higher than my head, but there was still no way I'd be able to kick Dimitri in the head.

"I'm trying!" I exclaimed. I was actually a little peeved that he hadn't noticed how well I was doing, considering we'd only been practicing for a half hour. "It's hard to kick someone when you're so close together. Besides, I'm doing good enough. I could kick someone in the stomach if I needed to."

He stepped away from me. "Yes, but that wouldn't stop them. Kicking them in the head _would_."

I narrowed my eyes at him. I pulled back and swung my leg around to kick him, failing miserably. Again. "Ugh! Why can't I do this?"

"Because you just started. Go again." he replied, getting into his stance again.

I did. We practiced for another hour before Dimitri finally announced that we were finished and he would take me home.

"I wish I wasn't grounded." I mumbled, slipping into the passenger's side of his car. "I'd get to spend more time with you."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Yes, but your parents are right. You'll be safer the less time you spend away from your house."

I rolled my eyes. "You just don't want to spend any time with me anymore after we almost got caught."

"Ah, Roza," he sighed, taking my hand in his. "You couldn't be more wrong. After having you at my place…after we made love… Well, my apartment just feels empty without you there."

My insides felt like they were turning to goo. We hadn't had a chance to just be together since we'd had to face my parents. It was harder to be away from him or even think about him after we'd had sex.

After Lissa got with Christian, she'd told me to wait to lose my virginity to someone I loved. She'd lost hers to her on-again, off-again boyfriend, James Holt, a year before she started dating Christian and regretted it. In fact, the main reason they finally broke it off for good was _because _they'd had sex. Lissa told me that once they'd done it once, it was all James wanted to do afterward.

I was glad I'd taken her advice. Having sex had only made me and Dimitri stronger. Even if we had the chance to have sex again, I didn't think Dimitri would want to all the time. He'd only mentioned it twice – over the phone the night before and just then – and, even then, there had been nothing but love in his tone of voice. He didn't want me because he was horny. He wanted me because he loved me and wanted to show me that. Okay, maybe there was a little lust in there, too.

"Hopefully you won't have to get used to that." I told him, rubbing my fingers along his. "Oh, yeah. I had something I wanted to ask you."

I told him about my plan to get Eddie the camera he'd been wanting. I had nearly eight hundred dollars from my allowance and the money from my birthday. I wasn't lying to Lissa; Natalie really had given me seven hundred dollars. She was a coworker of my mom's. She'd given me that much money on my birthday because she'd – according to my mom – screwed up a sale at work and was trying to get back in my mom's good graces.

"I was wondering if you'd want to pitch in. You don't have to if you don't want to, I just thought I'd let you know about it. All the rest of my friends are going to give me twenty dollars each, which will give me about eight hundred and fifty dollars. I'm going to ask my parents for the rest of the money, but I wanted to know if you're going to pitch in before I told them how much I need." I explained.

He smiled. "Sure, I don't mind helping. Especially if it gets Eddie to help watch over you. Is fifty dollars alright?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't –"

"A hundred?" he interrupted.

"No!" I exclaimed. "More like twenty. Twenty-five at the most."

We'd made it to my house by then and Dimitri put the car in park before answering. "I don't mind giving you more than that."

I started picking up my bag, causing a book to fall out. As I put it back, I told him, "I _do _mind. You haven't just spent a lot of money on me already. You've also done everything you can to help me when I needed you. That's all I want; for you to be there for me."

"Well, then," he said, voice soft. "I can promise you that I will _always _be there for you, Roza. I'll also give you twenty-five dollars for Eddie's camera, if that's what you want."

I looked over at him, desperately wanting to wrap him in my arms. "Thank you. I love you so much."

"And I –" He stopped, paying close attention to something outside the car. I looked over, but I didn't see anything. "Do you see that?"

I shook my head. "No… I don't see anything. What is it?"

"Stay here."

He got out of the car and strode over to the sidewalk. Of course, I didn't listen to him. I was behind him before he even knew I was out of the car. The only reason I could even sneak up on him was because he was so focused on…well, whatever it was he saw.

I followed him all the way over to the bushes on the other side of my property. I was sure he still didn't know I was behind him because he never told me to go back to the car. I was just about to ask him what was going on when he reached into the bushes and pulled someone out.

"Adrian?!" I was so shocked that it wouldn't have surprised me if my jaw was on the ground.

"Hey there, young one." Adrian replied, giving me that charming smile of his.

Dimitri turned to me. "You know this guy?"

I nodded. I was going to explain who he was, but Adrian beat me to the punch. "Yeah. Me and Rose party all the time."

I wanted to cringe under Dimitri's stare, but I turned to Adrian instead. "You wish. Adrian gave me and my friends a ride to the club Saturday night."

"_You're _the culprit." Dimitri told Adrian. I could tell that Dimitri suspected that Adrian was the one I'd kissed by the tone of his voice. I felt like I was going to throw up.

"What are you doing here, Adrian?" I asked.

The whole time we'd been talking I hadn't noticed the shoes in Adrian's hand. They were the ones I'd left in his Jeep. "I was bringing these back to you." he said, holding them up.

"How do you know where I live?" I'd been wondering that since Dimitri pulled him out of the bushes.

Adrian shrugged. "Lissa told me. I went by her house to ask her where you live."

Dimitri looked at Adrian like he was an annoying fly. "Couldn't you give Lissa the shoes to give to Rose later?"

Adrian seemed taken aback by Dimitri's tone, but he answered, "I wanted to see Rose again."

Dimitri was keeping his calm – mostly – but I knew that I should step in. I grabbed Adrian's arm and started pulling him away. "Walk with me to the door?" I gave Dimitri a look that I hoped said, _Just give me a minute with him. Alone._

He apparently understood because he walked back to his car as I towed Adrian away.

"So, young one," Adrian began with a smirk on his face. "Why didn't you call me yesterday? I waited around all day and, let me tell you, I don't do that for just anyone."

I rolled my eyes. "I was too busy getting grounded, which is why you have to leave. If my parents see you here, I'll be in a lot of trouble."

"I just got here." he said, wearing a frown. It was the first time I'd seen him anything other than happy. "I drove an entire hour to come see you and now you're shooing me away."

That was when my front door opened. I turned to see my mom looking at us. "Well, hello there. Rose, who is this?" I introduced the two of them, telling my mom that Adrian was a friend that I'd met through Lissa. "It's nice to meet you, Adrian. Would you like to come inside?"

He gave her a charming smile. "I'd love to, but I thought Rose was grounded."

"Oh, she is." my mom told him, smiling right back. "But only from leaving the house. We don't mind having her friends over."

Dimitri then came up behind us, my book bag in his hand. "Hello, Mrs. Hathaway. How are you this evening?"

My mom gave him a huge smile when she saw him. "Oh, hello, Dimitri. I'm doing well. And call me Janine. How did Rose do today?" We'd had to tell my mom that Dimitri was teaching me, but she didn't mind. As long as we were at the school, she didn't really care who taught me.

"Very well, as always. She's a natural."

"I'm glad to hear that. Would you like to come inside, have a cup of coffee?" she asked.

Dimitri, ever so slightly, glanced between me and Adrian. My mom didn't see it, but I saw something flash across Adrian's face. It looked like confusion, but I couldn't be sure because he quickly masked it with a smile at me. "That's very gracious of you. I'd love to."

My mom stepped aside to let the guy I'd made out with, the man that I loved, and me inside the house. God, Mondays suck.

* * *

** Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I had a migraine earlier that I had to sleep off and then I was trying to write and watch Cry's livestream at the same time. If you haven't watched his videos, go to YouTube and search for ChaoticMonki. He's really awesome.**

** As always, don't forget to review and let me know what you thought of the chapter! I also have more questions for you!**

** 1 – Who do you think is helping Rose's attackers in the school? And…**

** 2 – [THIS ONE IS IMPORTANT] What do YOU want to happen between Adrian and Dimitri? The answer to this question can change what happens in the story DRAMATICALLY, so make sure you tell me what you want.**

** You can leave a review, PM me, or both if you'd like. Thanks so much! **


	12. Sneaky

**Thanks you for your answers! You guys have helped me a lot in deciding where to go from here. If the pace of the story has slowed down a bit, I'm sorry about that. But I'm sure you all know that there have to be some parts that aren't as exciting as others. There can't be nonstop action. So just bear with me when we get to some of those parts. I promise that things will pick up again soon.**

** Also, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to get this chapter up sooner, like I usually do. I was sick and basically slept all day. I'm still feeling bad today, but I wanted to get this chapter up. Hopefully being sick won't interfere with my writing too much. If it does, just know that it's only temporary. That's it for now.**

* * *

"Rose," my mom addressed me, a cup of coffee in her hands. "Would you and Adrian mind going upstairs to your room? Leave the door open, though."

I sighed, exasperated. I knew that I had to do as she asked. I could tell that this was one of those times when she wanted to speak to Dimitri alone, so she needed to kick me out. Dimitri didn't seem happy about this at all, but he kept his face blank when my mom flashed him a quick smile. Adrian, on the other hand, was having the exact opposite reaction, grinning from ear to ear.

"Oh, I can assure you, Mrs. Hathaway, that leaving the door open isn't necessary. But, of course, we'll do as you say." Adrian replied, the smile never leaving his face.

I shook my head, grabbing Adrian's hand as I did. "C'mon. Let's go."

As soon as we were in my room, I turned on him, keeping my voice low so my parents didn't hear. "In case you haven't noticed, now isn't a really good time for you to be here. Why don't you just go and I'll call you later?"

Adrian put a hand to his heart, sighing dramatically. "I drive all the way over to selflessly do you a favor and this is the thanks I get? I'm heartbroken, Rose, truly."

"Your heart isn't going to be the only thing that's broken if you don't keep your voice down." I hissed, praying no one had heard him. "Thank you for bringing my shoes. I appreciate it. But if you really want to do me a favor, you'll leave. There are…things going on that you don't know about." I lowered my voice further, almost dropping it to a whisper. "Things that I can't let my parents know about. You being here complicates things."

Looking at him, I could tell I'd wasted my breath. If anything, I'd only succeeded in making him more curious about me. He walked over to my bed, sitting down without asking permission first. He gazed around my room, taking everything in. "I like the pictures, young one. Can't say I'm into the wall color, though. It looks like Barney exploded in here."

I scoffed. I'd painted my room lavender with a darker purple for the trim. "It does not." I sat down next to him, taking a deep breath. How could he have gone from so charming the other night to so annoying right now? Oh, right, alcohol. "Just tell me, what are you really doing here?"

"I already told you. I came here to give you your shoes." He turned to face me, smirk still on his face. When I crossed my arms without saying anything, he sighed. "Like I said, you didn't call me yesterday like you said you would. I came to see what happened."

I thought back to Saturday night. Had I really told Adrian I would call him? I guessed the best way to tell if he was telling the truth was to get my phone and see if I had his number in it. But I couldn't do that right then. I didn't want him to know I couldn't remember. "Trust me, there is way too much going on for me to tell you everything right now."

"You can try."

I looked at him, debating. I couldn't tell him what had really happened yesterday, but I didn't know if I wanted him to know everything that had been happening to me lately. I had _just _met him. Then again, he did live an hour away. It wasn't like I'd be seeing him all the time or anything.

"Okay, fine. The short of it is that I got sick, so I couldn't call you." I told him, hoping he'd leave it at that.

No such luck. He leveled his gaze at me and I couldn't help but notice how green his eyes were. "That still doesn't explain why you're grounded."

I shrugged. "I wound up somewhere I wasn't supposed to be. That's all you're going to get, so you can stop looking at me like that."

It was his turn to shrug. "That's all I wanted to know." He got up and went over to my vanity, picking up and smelling each of the perfumes I had on it. He nodded as he smelled each one, apparently liking the scent. When he got to the last one, though, he grimaced. "This one isn't right for you. It smells like something an old woman would go to church in."

"Oh, because you're an expert on me and perfume."

He looked back at me, a smile on his face. "It certainly seemed that way Saturday night."

I stopped myself from frowning. "Listen, about that –"

He took two long strides back over to me, leaning down so that we were face-to-face. He looked into my eyes for a moment, making me uncomfortable. Just when I was about to squirm away from him, he said, "Huh. Really didn't peg you for that type of girl. You just continue to surprise me."

"I didn't peg you for what type of girl?" I asked, genuinely curious.

That annoying smirk was put back in place. "Oh, you know. The kind who makes up excuses. 'It was the alcohol! I swear I've never done _anything _like that before!'" That last part was done in a high tone, obviously meant to sound like a girl's voice. He missed it by a mile, sounding more like a little girl with a British accent.

"Hey! I'm not that type of girl. I knew exactly what I was doing, thank you very much." I informed him, my tone defensive.

"And what was that?" There was twinkle in his eyes.

I didn't even think about what I was saying. Everything was just rolling right off my tongue from the look he was giving me. For some strange reason, I didn't want Adrian to think I was just some little girl who'd had too much alcohol and been too entranced by the fact that he was older and was really pretty. "I was having fun."

The gleam in his eyes increased and the smirk turned into a smile. "Fun, indeed. I wouldn't mind having 'fun' with you again."

Before I could answer, my mom yelled at me from downstairs. I grabbed Adrian's arm as I headed for the door. "No way am I leaving you here by yourself."

"That's probably for the best." Adrian replied, letting me drag him out. "Wouldn't want me to find your memoirs of our time spent together."

I rolled my eyes, ignoring him. When we got down the stairs, the very first thing I saw was Dimitri's glare. I looked down, wondering what could've stirred up those emotions in him, and realized I still had my hand around Adrian's arm. I promptly let go, leaving my arms at my sides. "Something you needed?" I asked my mom, realizing I sounded like a maid.

"Mr. Belikov is leaving. I think it's best for your friend to go to, too." she told me.

I nodded. "Okay. Come on, Adrian."

I led him to the front door, opening it when we got there. I should've known better than to think he would leave without another word. He turned to me in the doorway, a smoldering look in his eyes. "When can I see you again?"

_Never, _I thought. "I don't know, Adrian. I have a lot of stuff going on right now."

"Oh, so that's the thanks I get for bringing your shoes back? Harsh, young one."

I had to admit that he had a point. He _had _driven an hour just to bring me something I'd forgotten in his Jeep. He was going to have to drive another hour to get back home. I sighed and leaned over, intending to give him a hug.

At the last minute, Adrian bent over a little so that our faces were at the same height. He crushed his lips to mine before I could pull away. You would've thought that I'd be so surprised that I wouldn't have felt anything but shock, but that's not what happened. The feelings that coursed through me were nothing like the ones Dimitri made me feel when he kissed me, but they weren't really bad feeling. Nevertheless, I immediately broke apart from him.

"What the _hell _do you think you're doing?!" I shrieked. I had half a mind to slap him, but my mom's voice rang out, stopping me.

"Rose!" I looked over to see that she was just emerging from the kitchen, but that wasn't what held my attention. Dimitri had come into the living room ahead of her, now standing about ten feet away from Adrian and me. There was a mixture of anger and hurt in his face, making my heart thump harder in my chest. "That is _no _way to talk to a guest."

I assumed she hadn't seen what just happened. I had no idea what to do. I didn't want to apologize to Adrian; I wanted to apologize to Dimitri. But there was no way I could do that right now. I spared Dimitri one more glance, noting that there was no trace of hurt left. It was all anger and it was directed straight at Adrian. When I turned back to Adrian, he wasn't looking at me or my mom. To my surprise, he was looking straight back at Dimitri. He was smiling, but there was a glint to his eyes, like he knew something no one else did…

And that's when I realized that Adrian – a guy I'd just met – had figured out that Dimitri and I had something going on. I was baffled. I'd assumed that Adrian was just some guy who partied all the time and didn't pay much attention to the world around him, but I couldn't have been more wrong. He actually paid _more _attention to his surroundings than my parents, which was saying something.

"Uh, I'm sorry, Adrian. I'll, um, see you later. Thanks for bringing my shoes."

"Your shoes?" my mom asked, completely confused.

Crap. It looked like I could take some lessons from Adrian and pay more attention to my own surroundings. "Uh, yeah. Adrian went over to Lissa's earlier and she gave him a pair of shoes I'd left over there. I must have forgotten them because I was sick."

She kept her eyes on me a little bit longer than necessary, but she nodded. "Okay, then. Thank you, Adrian, for doing that. You didn't have to. It was nice meeting you. You're welcome to stop by again."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hathaway." Adrian said, smiling. I wanted to hit him. How was he able to charm people so well? "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Goodnight." He turned to me, grabbing my hand and lifting it to his lips. I was going to pull away, but caught sight of my mom in my peripheral vision. "Goodnight, Rose. I'll call you later."

I couldn't help but notice his quick glance at Dimitri. That annoying smirk was back on his face, but there was something in his eyes that made him look as if he'd just been slapped. Again, I thought about how strange it was that someone I'd just met could be so observant. What did he think of all this? Would he keep my secret? I felt my palms break out in sweat.

As Adrian walked to the street, I heard Dimitri address my mom. "Thank you for the coffee, Janine. And for the visit. I'll let you know how Rose progresses."

I turned around as my mom replied, "Of course, it was my pleasure. And thank you for keeping me informed. Have a good night."

He nodded at her, giving her a small smile as he wished her the same. I was still in the doorway, so I had to move aside as he started to leave. For a stricken few seconds, I thought he would just leave without saying a word to me. It felt like I stood there forever, waiting for him to address me in some way, whether it was with words or body language. Just as he stepped on the porch, he turned to me. "Oh, and goodnight, Miss Hathaway. Keep practicing those maneuvers I taught you."

I couldn't say a word as he turned and left. He'd called me Miss Hathaway, something I only heard from school, and even then, I only heard it from the faculty on occasion. Most of them just called me Rose. I watched as he got in his car and sped off, wondering if there was any way I could fix the damage that had just been done.

[BREAK]

It turned out that I didn't have to do anything at all. Dimitri didn't bring Adrian up the next day, to my surprise. I was sure that he would be furious with me, but he avoided the conversation about that kiss altogether. I thought about bringing it up – mostly because I wanted to assure him that I hadn't been the one initiating anything – but chickened out every time.

The week rolled by, nothing exciting happening except that I talked my parents into giving me the hundred and twenty-five dollars I needed to get Eddie's camera. I'd already placed the order, finding a site that had a discount on the camera. Because of that, I was able to get it rush delivered. It wouldn't arrive until Friday at the soonest, but I had them delivering it to the school so I could get it to Eddie faster.

They called me out of fourth period class on Friday to the office. I figured it was the camera and had a giant smile on my face as I walked to pick it up. As I did, though, a thought occurred to me that wiped the smile off my face.

Lissa was still mad at me for breaking my promise. She was still helping me look out for anyone who might be following me, but she hadn't talked to me since Monday, except in passing. I'd hoped we could settle things and get back to normal before giving Eddie his gift, but that clearly wasn't going to happen.

Mrs. Stepp's glare was what greeted me in the office. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Miss Hathaway, why in the world are you sending packages to the school?"

I gave her the most innocent expression I could muster. "I didn't think it would be that big of a deal. I bought a present for someone and wanted to give it to them as soon as possible, so I had it delivered here."

"Well, I suppose the damage has already been done," she said with a sigh. "Go ahead and take it, but do not do this again."

I grabbed the package sitting in one of the office chairs, promising Mrs. Stepp I wouldn't be a nuisance anymore, just as Dimitri's office door opened. From where I was standing, I couldn't see who was coming out, but I could see the door opening. Camille walked out, arms wrapped around herself.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked as she walked by me.

She gave me a glare even though her arms stayed around her. "What do _you _care?"

I shrugged. "Hey, I'm just trying to be nice. You don't want to tell me, don't. Not my problem."

"Well…" She hesitated, clearly not wanting to confide in me. Apparently, whatever it was that was bugging her was enough for her to tell me. "Don't tell anyone, but I think I might be moving."

I felt my eyes widen. "Where? Why? I thought your family has lived here forever."

She nodded, her face turning red as she tried not to cry. "We have. We were the second family to settle here, right after the Blakes. That's why it's so hard for us to move. I mean, my dad will have an even better job where we're going, but my mom still isn't convinced it's enough to leave here. They've been fighting like crazy. You'd think it wouldn't bother me since they've been fighting my entire life, but it does."

The look on her face actually made me feel bad for Camille. Sure, she'd done some horrible things to me and my friends over the years, but she was still a person. Thinking back on it, maybe this is what had made her do all of those bad things to us. Having constant fighting around you – especially from your parents – is bound to take its toll on you.

Without thinking, I reached forward and pulled her in a hug. She was tense at first, but she relaxed a little when she realized I wasn't trying to hurt her. That didn't mean she wrapped her arms around me, too, though. "I'm really sorry, Camille." It was all I could think to say.

"I guess I'm sorry to. For what I said about Mason and Eddie, for what I've done to you and your friends, for…" She trailed off and I felt her tense, but it was only for a second. "Well, for everything."

I was going to tell her that, although it wasn't okay, I forgave her. But she pulled away from me with lightning fast reflexes. I stepped off to the side and saw one of her friends, Julianne Masters, coming back from Fink's office. She was giving us a weird look.

I turned my attention back to Camille, whose arms were again crossed. "Think about _that _the next time you try to lay a finger on me again."

Her words confused me at first, but then I got it. She didn't want Julianne to know about what had just happened. She probably hadn't even told her she might be moving yet. I crossed my arms right back, painting an irritated look on my face. "That was the lamest excuse of a threat I've ever heard. What are you gonna do next, threaten to sick your dollies on me?"

She flashed me a quick, thankful look before flipping her hair over her shoulder. "They could probably do a lot more damage than you could."

"Oh, really? That's not what you were saying when I was kicking your ass in the hallway."

"Rose."

It was only one word, but I would know that voice anywhere. Before even turning around, I knew Dimitri was behind me. There was a chastising look on his face and I figured he'd just stepped out of his office and heard the last of our exchange. I wanted to tell him that we weren't serious, but I couldn't do that with Julianne here, who was now next to Camille. "What? It's true."

He shook his head, using one hand to hold his door open and the other to point inside. "In my office. Now."

As I walked I heard Julianne behind me. "What was that all about?"

"I don't know. She just came up to me and started talking about the founding families of the town. I told her to get lost, but she just went all psycho on me. You know how she is." I smiled at Camille's response.

I didn't hear Julianne's response because I'd stepped into the office and Dimitri was closing the door. I turned to him. "Listen, it's not what it looked like. I –"

"I know. I heard everything." he interrupted, walking over to me. He slipped his hands around my waist and leaned down to kiss me. I didn't think I'd ever be able to stop myself from shivering when he did that. "That was a very nice thing to do, Roza."

I shrugged. "Hey, I'm not a bitch _all _the time. People just think that."

He chuckled. "I can think of a lot of things to call you, but 'bitch' doesn't come to mind."

He sighed, letting go of me as he did. He went behind his desk and sat, which I didn't take as a good sign. Most of the time, he sat next to me when he wanted to talk. The only time he sat behind his desk was when he wanted to talk about something serious. I sighed, too. "So, what grim thing do you want to talk about this time?"

I expected some sort of reaction from him – mostly a head shake – but his stare remained level. "Adrian."

Okay, I hadn't expected that. It had been days since he'd come over and Dimitri hadn't brought it up, so I thought I was off the hook. I guess he actually just needed some time to get over it so he wouldn't overreact. "Yeah, I was wondering if you'd bring that up. Look, it wasn't me who did anything. That was all Adrian."

"I know. That's not what I want to talk about. He knows about us, Rose. What are we going to do about that?"

"You noticed, too?" That was a stupid question. Of course he did.

He nodded. "Yes, I did. It was hard not to, the way he was looking at me."

I tried to give him the same level look he gave me. "He won't say anything, if that's what you're worried about. Adrian…well, I haven't known him that long, but I don't think he'd go that far to get to me."

"You obviously didn't see the way he was looking at you." Venom oozed from the tone of his voice. "Like you were some sort of…conquest. And that was nothing compared to the look he gave me. I wouldn't have been surprised to get home and find holes burnt into my forehead."

I got up and walked around his desk, sitting in his lap. His arms automatically went around me. "I'll talk to him if I have to. I don't think he'd say anything, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

He groaned before planting a kiss on my forehead. "That's the thing, Rose. I don't _want _you to talk to him, even though I know it's best. I don't trust him. I don't like the way he pines after you."

"Trust me." I said, getting up and grabbing my book bag. "I can handle Adrian. I need to get back to class. I've been gone long enough as it is. I'll see you after school?"

"Not today. Well, other than from afar. Vika's coming over to my place after school. I have to keep an eye on her while our mom goes out." he explained. "But I'll still watch you on your way home."

Vika was Dimitri's sister's Russian nickname, short for Viktoria. At least hers made more sense than Dimitri's. I wanted to meet his family – especially since he'd met mine – but he wanted me to wait a little while longer. I nodded, telling him that was fine and that I loved him before leaving.

[BREAK]

Giving Eddie his gift hadn't been as fulfilling as I thought it would. Lissa had sent me a text before school ended, telling me that she had to leave for an orthodontist appointment. It seemed a little sketchy to me – Lissa's teeth were perfect – but I let it go, not wanting her to have another reason to be mad at me. Even with her not there, I decided to go ahead and give Eddie the camera since I'd gone through all the trouble of having it delivered here. Plus, I didn't know if I'd get to see him over the weekend or not.

"Oh my God. Rose. You didn't." Eddie said, taking the camera out of the box. Everything about Eddie brightened when he held it in his hands.

I shrugged. "Well, technically, it wasn't all me. Everyone pitched in for it."

"Yeah, but Rose paid the most for it." Mia interjected. "You have her to thank."

To my surprise, Eddie came forward and wrapped me in a hug. "I know this is probably a bribe to keep me looking for that dude, but I don't care. This is one of the best presents anyone has ever gotten me. Thank you so much, Rose."

I wrapped my arms around him, too, happy to be doing something for a friend, even if it was sort of a bribe.

"Hey!" Mia exclaimed. At first I thought she was upset at us hugging, but then she elaborated, "What about the gifts I've given you?"

Eddie turned back to her, an affectionate smile on his face. "I said _one _of the best presents I've ever gotten. You know I love your gifts."

"Hate to break up this sappy moment," Christian sighed, rolling his eyes. "But does anyone know where Lissa went?"

"Oh, yeah. She went to her orthodontist appointment. She didn't tell you?" I asked.

They all gave me weird looks. "That's weird. She told me she wasn't feeling good and needed to go home. She looked really pale in sixth period. I think she might have a bug or something." Mia replied.

"She told me her dad picked her up early and was taking her to Helena with him on business." That was Eddie.

We all looked at Christian, who was now pale. It didn't seem like he knew we were staring at him – he was gazing off into the distance, a glazed look in his eyes – but he whispered, "She told me she had to go to the, uh, lady doctor."

A jolt of anxiety ran through my body. Why had Lissa lied to all of us? The only thing I could think of was that she was up to something. Something no good. "Okay," I said, my mind spinning, "let's go to her house. Maybe there's something there that will tell us where she went. In the meantime, we need to see if we can get a hold of her. Send her texts, not calls, that way we won't interfere with each other."

A part of me wanted to run off and get Dimitri, but I knew I couldn't do that with my friends. I silently sent a prayer up to heaven, asking whoever was listening to keep Dimitri from approaching us. We'd talked about him watching me and agreed that the only time he should interfere is if I'm in immediate danger. Anything else might alert someone to our relationship.

We were all too concerned to say much on the way there, mostly absorbed in our phones. I'd sent her two texts, but she wasn't replying. It was the same for everyone else. I could feel the tension rolling off each of us, making the air around us feel like it was filled with electricity.

When we finally made it to Lissa's house, we broke into a sprint all at the same time. If the situation hadn't been so dire, I probably would've cracked a joke about it. We all called her name as we ran up the stairs, each of us wanting to be first. When we got stuck at the top, Mia and Eddie backed off, allowing Christian and I to break free first. It was a good thing Andre was at football practice or we would've worried him to death.

The piece of paper on Lissa's bed immediately got my attention. I picked it up and read it with Christian reading over my shoulder.

_**Rose,**_

_** I gave that important assignment you had me look over to T.J. He's holding on to it for you.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Lissa**_

"What is this?" Christian exclaimed, grabbing the paper from me. "She leaves you a note about _homework _when she's disappeared? What is wrong with that woman?! And who the hell is T.J.?"

I wasn't listening to him. I was too busy with the flashbacks that were so vivid in my mind. Back when Lissa and I were little, we'd gone to an amusement park with our parents. They'd given us five dollars each to play this game where you pop balloons with darts, each dart being one dollar. We were trying to get this really cool looking bear that had a top hat and a tuxedo on so we could have tea parties with him, but neither one of us was able to get enough tickets.

We came up with a plan to put our tickets together so we could get him. We decided that we would share him by having him for one day and then giving him to the other person the next. It wasn't the best arrangement, but it worked. We found out about a week after getting him that he had a pouch in his stomach that you could put things in. We'd wound up pretending we were spies, leaving notes inside him that were "orders".

We called our operation "Teddy Junior", which is where he got his name from. It was dumb, but we were kids at the time. Now, I found myself automatically moving to Lissa's closet, where she kept her old toy chest. I heard Mia and Eddie follow me as Christian went on and on about homework not being more important than where she was.

I began pulling all her toys out. It would've been nice to reminisce about the old days when we played with these toys, but I couldn't right then. Finally, I found T.J. in the bottom of the chest, neatly tucked away in the corner.

I pulled him out and ripped open the pouch in his stomach, causing the bottle the "assignment" was in to fall out. I caught it before it could hit the floor, a sign of how much better my reflexes were since I'd started practicing with Dimitri. I pulled the cork out of the bottle and shook it, trying to get the paper to come out. As I did, I turned and walked back out of the closet, ignoring everyone else's comments and questions.

The damn paper didn't want to come out of the bottle. Frustrated, I went into her bathroom and threw the bottle as hard as I could into the bathtub, causing it to shatter. Some of the pieces flew out toward me, but I didn't know if any had actually cut me. I couldn't pay attention to that right now.

As I picked up the paper and began reading it, my friends crowded around me, each trying to see what it said.

_**Guys,**_

_** I put this here because I didn't want anyone else to find it, including my dad. I'm sorry for not telling you where I really went, but I knew you'd follow me if I did and I couldn't have that. The best thing I could give you is this note, which is why I told you all I was going different places. I knew you'd figure it out and come here.**_

_** Please don't worry about me. At least, don't worry about me until six. I should be home by then if everything works out, but if I'm not, take this and the other note to the police. Again, don't worry! I should be fine, even if I don't get home by then. This is just a precaution.**_

_** I wouldn't be telling you this unless it was important, so pay attention. I got a text from a blocked number – the same one Rose got a text from. It said that if I agreed to meet with them, they would leave Rose alone. I know you'll kill me when I get home, Rose, but it was something I had to do. I don't know where we'll be, but I can tell you where we're meeting: the park on Sunset Avenue. I hope that helps if something does happen to me.**_

_** It is very important that you don't tell anyone what's going on until six. I'm going to need time to talk to these people and I won't get it if you guys don't keep this to yourselves. I'm sorry that I had to lie to all of you, but – believe me – it's for the best. I love you all.**_

_** Lissa**_

I felt all the blood drain out of my face. Lissa had voluntarily agreed to meet with the people who tried to kill me. Lissa was right; I was going to kill her once I made sure she was safe.

"Fuck that!" Christian yelled when he was done reading. "I'm taking this to the police right now!"

For once, I agreed with him.

The police station was busy as we waited in Officer Blake's office. We'd sat there for hours, waiting to hear any news they had about Lissa. It was already after six and I was beginning to get nervous. Christian was a complete mess, running his hands through his hair over and over again. He couldn't decide whether he wanted to get up and walk around or sit.

Mia and Eddie were holding hands, casting worried looks at each other and around the room. Every now and then, I would hear them whispering to each other, either assurances that Lissa would be okay, or musings on how much longer it would take for anyone to know anything about her.

Finally, at around 7:30, Officer Blake stepped into his office. He grabbed the only remaining chair in his office that wasn't occupied and pulled it up to us. He took off his hat, running his fingers through his hair like Christian had. With a deep breath, he told us, "Your friend is missing."

* * *

**Hope you guys liked this chapter! The reveal of Rose's attackers is getting so close! It may even be revealed next chapter…but I'm not sure about that yet… :D**

** Remember to review! Your reviews give me extra motivation to write another chapter and get it uploaded as soon as possible. **


	13. Search

**I am so happy to report that we've broken 100 reviews! :D Thank you so much for letting me know all your theories and what you think of the story! It's because of all of you that this story even exists! I'd also like to give a big thank you to the following people: bboop12, ladora, RozaRocks, Mrs. Belikova, Dimka's chick, and M for being faithful readers and reviewers! I'd like to give you all a special treat, so I have sent you all PM's – except for M and Mrs. Belikova who don't have accounts; sorry about that – with a hint on who's been attacking Rose. I hope that shows my appreciation.**

** The big reveal isn't far away now, so make sure to get your theories out there before it happens! I love hearing them :)**

* * *

I knocked on the door. I hadn't really been paying attention to where I was going earlier, after Blake gave us the news, and was surprised to find myself here of all places. This probably hadn't been a good idea, but I could have cared less at the moment.

Lissa was gone and there was no trace as to where she went. We'd given the cops the notes she left us, in the hopes that the sooner they got them, the sooner they'd be able to find her. Unfortunately, they'd left nothing but Lissa's smashed cell phone at the site where they met her. That meant the police couldn't track her using her cell.

They'd called Mr. Dragomir and let him know what was going on. Instead of driving the hour it took to get back here, he'd called in a favor with a small helicopter business in Helena and was probably home already. I felt so bad. After everything he'd done for me, this was how I repaid him; by getting his only daughter kidnapped.

The door in front of me opened only a moment after I'd knocked. As soon as Dimitri saw the look on my face, he rushed forward and grabbed me, bringing me into his apartment.

I was surprised at how easily I snapped once he'd touched me. I found myself in his arms, crying hysterically. He held on to me, his arms tight around my shoulders. He didn't say a word as I cried, just stroked my hair and rocked me a little. I was so devastated that I didn't know there was someone else in the room until they cleared their throat.

I opened my eyes to see a girl standing near the doorway to Dimitri's kitchen. She had dark brown eyes that reminded me of Dimitri's and long brown hair, streaked with gold. She was wearing blue jeans and a light blue top with white flowers on it. I quickly broke away from Dimitri, feeling stupid for not remembering that his sister was here.

She gave me a small smile, obviously feeling awkward. "You must be Rose. It's nice to meet you. Er, well, it would be, if it weren't for the circumstances." For a moment, my heart began pounding hard in my chest, thinking she didn't like that I was with Dimitri. But her next sentence cleared that up. "I heard about what happened to your friend."

I quickly wiped at my face, mortified that the first time I met any of Dimitri's family, I was bawling like a huge baby. "Um, yeah. I'm glad I'm finally getting to meet you, too. Even under the…circumstances."

"I'll just let you two talk. I'll be in Dimka's room when you're done." With a small smile at me, she turned and walked to the back of Dimitri's apartment.

I looked over at Dimitri, who still had a worried expression on his face. "I'm sorry. I forgot you had company. I should just go."

"No," he whispered, taking me back in his arms. "I'm glad you came. I've been so worried about you."

I sighed, leaning into him. I don't think I'd ever been more happy to have him. No one would've been able to comfort me after…

"God, Dimitri, it's all my fault! If I hadn't worried her so much, if I hadn't been so selfish and made sure she was okay before me… This never would've happened. I'm such a horrible person." I sobbed into his chest.

He pulled away from me, keeping me at arm's length. Looking directly into my eyes, he said, "No, Roza. I understand why you'd feel that way, but…Lissa is a young woman. She's old enough to make her own decisions. Now, tell me what exactly happened. All I know is what you've already told me."

I'd texted him while we were waiting for the cops to talk to us, letting him know that Lissa had left to meet the people who wanted me dead. "She's still gone. The cops found her smashed cell phone in the park on Sunset Avenue, where she said she was going. They have no way of tracking her down." I felt more tears fall down my face. "What am I going to do? It's all my fault."

He led me to the couch, making me sit. "It is _not _your fault, Rose. You couldn't have known what she was planning. We're going to find her. We'll go out tomorrow and post flyers, send out emails, whatever we can do to get the word out. Someone must have seen her leaving with those criminals. They'll step forward."

"And what if they don't?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Let's say someone did see something, knew where they were. Why would they speak up? Why would they put themselves into this situation when they have no loyalties to Lissa?"

He stroked my cheek with one hand while keeping his other one on my arm. "Because the people of this town work together to get things done. They take care of each other. You know that as well as I do."

I actually did know that. I'd been surprised when I woke up from my induced coma to find that almost every single person in town had either sent me flowers or cards, wishing me good luck on getting well. It was one of the things that had made me want to get back into my normal routine so fast.

"I don't know. I just have a really bad feeling about all of this."

"It'd be hard not to." he agreed. "But I promise you that we will get to the bottom of this. We will find her. This. Will. Work."

I nodded, trying to stifle the tears that filled my eyes. "So what do we do?"

We came up with a plan to do as he said, make flyers and send out emails. We would also contact the local newspaper and try to get them to write an article on what had happened, urging people to step forward if they'd seen anything. If they hadn't already gotten started on it, that is. News in this town traveled pretty fast.

Dimitri grabbed his cell phone, looking at the time. He ran a hand through his hair as he sighed, frustrated. "You should get home. Your parents are probably worried sick about you. What are you going to tell them?"

I shrugged. "I'll think of something. It shouldn't be too hard to convince one of my friends to cover for me. They and my parents both know how hard this is on me. I'll text you when I get home and let you know how everything goes."

He nodded, taking my hand as we rose from the couch. Before I could leave, though, he yelled out to Viktoria, who was back in the living room an instant after he'd called her name.

"Leaving already? I'd hoped I'd get to spend some time with my new sister." she said, leaning against the wall.

My jaw dropped open before I could stop it. Sister? Dimitri and I had just gotten together. Marriage wasn't even an issue yet, although I did find myself liking the sound of Rosemarie Belikov. "I, well, that is…"

Viktoria stood up and walked over to me, pulling me into a hug. Her laughter made my body shake with hers. "Rose, we've heard a lot about you. You're already a part of the family in our eyes. I've never seen Dimka so happy."

I hadn't known I could be happy about anything with Lissa being gone, but that warmed my heart. My mind began to race. _If Dimitri's family can accept me so easily, it shouldn't be that hard for everyone else… _

She let go of me and looked me in the eyes – something that she had in common with Dimitri. I wondered if his family thought eye contact was a sign of respect. "I really hope you find your friend. If there's anything we can do to help, let us know. Dimitri will give you my number."

"Thanks. I will." I told her before turning to the door. Dimitri was already there, opening it for me. A thought suddenly occurred to me and I turned back around. "Viktoria… Do you think you could be my cover for my parents? It'd be a lot easier if I didn't have to text all my friends to get them to cover for me."

Viktoria nodded, her eyes bright. "Sure, no problem. What do you want me to tell them?"

I thought about that for a minute, trying to come up with something believable. "Tell them you came across me in the park where Lissa disappeared. Say I was distraught, that you brought me to a coffee shop in town to make sure I was okay."

She agreed and got my mom's number from me, sending her a text explaining who she was and that I was on my way home. I thanked her, to which her reply was, "Anything for family."

I turned to Dimitri, who still had the door open, but only by a crack. I walked over and pushed it all the way closed, wrapping the front of his shirt in my fists. I suddenly needed to feel his lips on mine, needed to bury some of the hurt I was feeling in his touch. I pulled him down to me, our lips colliding and catching on fire. There was a fire building between us, one that could easily burn out of control. I felt nothing but Dimitri, heard nothing but him. The world was gone now and only we remained.

Viktoria cleared her throat again. "Hey, I might be alright with the two of you together, but that doesn't mean I want to see it."

I slowly pulled away from Dimitri, giving him one, two, three more soft pecks on the lips. I'd barely heard Viktoria and even if I had, I really didn't care. "I love you. You're the most amazing person I've ever met. You have no idea how much it means to me that you're here for me."

Everything about Dimitri softened as he looked at me. There was a little bit of sadness in his expression. "I love you, too, sweetheart." A rush of excitement went through me. He'd never called me anything like that before. "And I will always be here for you, Roza. I…I know it doesn't mean much, but I am so sorry about Lissa. We'll find her. I promise."

"That means everything to me, especially because it's coming from you. I'll text you later. I really need to get home now."

He sighed, but nodded, knowing I was right. He leaned down once more for another kiss, holding me a little too tightly, like he thought I might evaporate.

"Okay, I get your in love and all that, but I'm seriously considering getting a bucket of ice water. It might be the only thing that'll get you two away from each other." Viktoria said behind us. She was serious about us letting go of each other, but there was a teasing tone to her voice.

I let go of Dimitri, knowing she was right, that we needed to stop. "I'll see you guys later."

I was out in the hall when I heard, "And Rose?"

I turned to see both Dimitri and Viktoria looking at each other, a smile on their lips. They'd both said that at the same time. It wasn't hard to see the family resemblance in them, not at all. They both waited for the other to continue, but neither did. Finally, they both said, "Be careful."

I tilted my head, a small smile forming on my lips. "Okay, that's a little creepy. Do you guys have some sort of weird family telepathy?"

Their answer was to laugh and tell me goodbye one last time.

[BREAK]

"Please," I cried, looking straight into the camera. "If you have any information regarding Lissa's whereabouts, anything at all, call the hotline we've set up at…"

It was Saturday evening. We – me, Eddie, Mia, Christian, Dimitri, Mr. Dragomir, pretty much _everyone _who cared about Lissa – had been out all day, posting flyers, talking to people on the street about her disappearance, and getting the word out any way we could.

At noon, a news company got in touch with the police department here in Bozeman. They wanted to do interviews with everyone who was involved in learning about Lissa's disappearance, but they had to get permission from everyone's parents before that could happen. My parents had been reluctant to let me do it at first, fearing it would be too much, but I'd talked them into letting me. Even if it hurt, I'd do anything to get her back.

Last night, my mom got the text from Viktoria saying that I was with her and believed it. She'd been too concerned about me to really worry that I was lying about being with a friend, even one I'd just met. They'd babied me all night, but – for once – I wanted it that way. I felt like I deserved a little babying.

"So," the journalist began. She was a short woman with long, dark hair that spilled in curls to her mid-back. She looked to be in her late-twenties, with bright blue eyes and a comforting smile. We were sitting in a coffee shop just outside of town, doing the interview we'd set up. People were trying to listen in on what I was saying, but every time they'd get close enough to get in the shot, the cameramen would wave them off. "Can you tell us what Lissa is like? Tell us about your friendship?"

I nodded, the tears in my eyes completely real. "Lissa is one of the most caring and considerate people I know. She never hesitates to help those in need. We've been best friends since we were little, but she's more like a sister to me. After everything I've been through, she was always there for me. That's why I'm here now. It's my turn to be there for her."

She nodded, genuine sympathy in her expression. "Could you tell us a little more about what happened to you?"

I was a little reluctant to say anything about that, but quickly decided I'd tell them. I had to do whatever I could to find Lissa. "Well, a couple months ago, I was attacked in an alley. I don't remember much about it; my doctors said that it was a very traumatic experience and I might not ever remember what happened to me. Lissa was there for me after it happened."

"You poor thing." she whispered, clearly getting too emotionally attached to her story. She quickly snapped out of it and looked at her notes. "What does Lissa look like? Is there anything distinguishing about her?"

"She's about five feet, ten inches tall. She has long blonde hair that's almost white and is usually straight. Her eyes are jade green, so I guess that's distinguishing. I haven't met a lot of people with that eye color. The last time I saw her, she was wearing black yoga pants that have the word 'hope' in pink lettering down the leg and a light pink top." I answered.

We sat there for another hour as I answered question after question. When we were finally done, the journalist – Ms. Carmen, she told me to call her – thanked me for my time and told me that she'd be in contact if the station heard anything regarding Lissa.

I got up and ordered a coffee, desperate for some caffeine. I'd been up most of the night and, when I did sleep, I had nightmares. The sun had already sunk below the horizon, but I knew I'd be up for a while so the caffeine wouldn't affect me too much.

As I sipped on my white chocolate frappe, I made my way outside, intending to meet with the rest of our group later. We agreed that we'd meet at the theater – despite the troubles I'd endured there – because it was about an equal distance from where everyone was posted. I decided I would go home for a quick rest and to grab some more flyers before making my way there.

To my surprise, I ran into a familiar face on the way there.

"Rose," Adrian said, running up to me. I couldn't be certain, but I thought it was the first time he'd addressed me by my name. "I came as soon as I heard. I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Sorry. I've been all around town today, trying to find out anything about where Lissa might be. You don't know anything, do you?" I asked.

He shook his head, running his hand through his hair. I thought that would mess it up, but it snapped right back into place. That guy had too much hair product. "No, all I know is that Lissa is missing and everyone is trying like hell to find her. How did this even happen?"

I sighed, knowing that I needed to fill him in on everything that had happened the past few months. Adrian might have been a nuisance, but I could tell that he really did care about Lissa and wanted to help find her. Not in a boyfriend kind of way – he saved that kind of caring for me – but in the way a friend cares about another friend.

So, with great reluctance, I told him everything. Adrian didn't say a word the whole time I spoke, which amazed me. He took everything in, waiting until I stopped talking to finally say anything. But, it turned out, he hadn't been waiting to say anything. Instead, he reached out and pulled me to him, burying me in his chest.

"Rose, I can't believe what you've been through." There was real concern in his voice. "No wonder you were trying so hard to kick me out the other day. It's actually surprising to me that you've held up this well."

"Excuse me?" a voice said, making my pulse rise. Why did he always have to find me and Adrian in some sort of intimate setting? "What's going on here?"

I pulled out of Adrian's arms to look at Dimitri, who was strolling up to us. I opened my mouth to tell him that absolutely nothing was going on, but Adrian spoke before I could. "Nothing that should concern you, Damon."

"Dimitri." Dimitri corrected. By the way he was glaring at Adrian, I was surprised Adrian didn't spontaneously combust.

Adrian waved his hand, dismissing Dimitri altogether. "Yeah, whatever. Look, why don't you find somewhere else to be all pervy and leave us alone? I'm discussing something important with Rose."

"The hell you are." Dimitri replied, barely able to stay calm. His hands were balled into fists and there was a slight trembling in his arms. "Why don't you go find someone your own age to talk to?"

"Why don't _you_?" Adrian retorted, glaring right back at Dimitri.

I stepped in between the two of them, worried they would start fighting. "Hey, you guys, cut it out. We have more important things to deal with right now than too much testosterone. Like, say, finding my best friend?"

I thought they would continue their arguing from the way they were glaring at each other, but Dimitri looked away first. He would only look at me after that. "You're right. Lissa is the number one priority right now, not some kid who doesn't know his place."

Adrian scoffed. "Better than being an adult who doesn't know his place."

Dimitri stepped closer to Adrian, looking like he really, _really _wanted to hit him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"_Please._ Look at you! You're practically undressing her with your eyes. It's amazing that no one has seen it yet. Why don't _you _leave her alone, pedophile? After all, you're –"

I admit that what I did next was very, very stupid of me, but I really couldn't help it. When he'd called Dimitri a pedophile, something inside of me snapped. I'd been doing a lot of thinking about what people would say once Dimitri and I came out with our relationship, even though it was a long way off. I'd been worried that I wouldn't be able to take their comments or sly looks once everyone knew the truth. But right then, I had my answer. I _could _take it, but not without letting people know what I felt about it.

I punched Adrian in the side of the face. My anger, frustration, sadness, and guilt had been building up in me, not only because of Lissa's disappearance, but also because of all the crap I'd been dealing with since Mason's death. "Don't you _dare _call him that!" I yelled. I pushed him, making him stagger back. "You don't have _any _right to say _anything _about him!"

"Rose –" Dimitri began.

I turned, pointing a finger at him. "Stay out of this." I turned back to Adrian. "You think you have some sort of moronic _claim _on me because I kissed you?! You _don't_. You never have and you never will."

Adrian stood there for a moment, holding his cheek where I'd hit him as he looked between Dimitri and me. "Well, then," he hissed, his voice low and angry. "I guess I'll just go and let the happy couple be."

"Yes." I hissed right back. He flinched. "I guess you will."

With one last glance at us, Adrian turned and walked away. We didn't say anything for a long time, at least until Adrian was out of sight. When we did finally talk, it was Dimitri who was the first one to speak.

"Rose, that was…" He seemed at a loss for words.

I turned toward him, hands on my hips. "Stupid? Idiotic? The worst thing I possibly could've done for us? Yeah, I know. But I couldn't help it." He shook his head, laughing. I was aghast. How could he be laughing at a time like this? "What?"

He looked up at me, his eyes shiny and glistening from tears that his laughter had brought on. "No, Roza. That," he said, closing the distance between us and wrapping me in his arms, "was _hot_."

I looked into his eyes, blushing furiously. The feel of his arms wrapped around me sent waves of heat throughout my entire body. Most of the time, when Dimitri complimented me, it was usually something along the lines of how beautiful I was or how amazing. Hearing that I was hot to him may not have been as romantic as the other compliments, but that didn't mean I didn't like it. Hell, I loved hearing him talk about me that way.

There was a hunger in his eyes, one that was probably in my expression as well. But I suddenly remembered that we were out in public and stepped away from him. "Well, if that's what turns you on, I can always kick your ass, too."

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh, you can definitely _try_."

Before I could reply, my phone went off. With a groan, I took it out of my pocket and answered it. "Rose, we're at the theater. Where are you?" Christian asked.

I took the phone away from my ear and looked at the time. I still had another hour before our appointed time. "It's only eight o'clock. I thought we agreed on nine."

"Well, we decided to make it earlier. We've already posted the flyers all around town and talked to virtually everyone. No point in wasting another hour talking to the same people. Come on so we can figure out what our next plan is." he explained.

I told him that I'd leave right then and be there soon. "That was Christian. We're meeting at the theater now instead of an hour from now. Care to give me a lift?"

[BREAK]

"We need you to go home and pack a bag for the night." my dad told me when we got to the theater. From the look on my mom's face, she agreed.

"What? Why?" I asked, seriously confused.

They looked between each other before my mom answered. "Do you think that Veronica girl you met yesterday would mind letting you spend the night? I know it's short notice, but your father just got called into work. They want him in Lincoln by morning, so we'll be late even leaving now. I have to go to help him drive, but I'll be back by Monday morning."

The old man stepped in again. "The police want you staying somewhere you've never stayed before, just in case the people who took Lissa decide to come after you. They actually thought about keeping you in one of the cells at the jail, but we wouldn't let them."

Hold me in a cell? Like a criminal? Suddenly, I was very, _very _happy for my parents' intervention. "Her name is Viktoria. And I can call and ask, but I can't guarantee anything." I was trying to sound like how I thought I'd be before I met Dimitri. I knew that "Viktoria" would definitely let me stay at her place.

"Great. We'll bring you by the house and drop you off at her house before we leave." my mom told me.

Thankfully, Dimitri stepped in. He'd been quietly observing our conversation. "There's no need. Viktoria is my little sister. I'll speak to my mother and let her know about the situation. I can pick Rose up later and take her to their house."

My mom was shocked by the look on her face, but my dad was examining Dimitri, a little too closely. Did he know something was up? I couldn't tell. I said a silent prayer, hoping he wouldn't catch on to anything. I intervened, hoping I'd throw my dad off whatever trail he was on. "She's your sister? She never mentioned anything to me about that…"

Dimitri looked at me now. "Viktoria called me last night to tell me about how Lissa was missing. She was wondering if I'd known her from school. I asked her where she heard that information and she told me she'd spoken to you."

"Thank you, Dimitri. If you could call her now, that would be great." my dad told him, all traces of doubt gone now. "The sooner we get an answer, the better."

"Can I talk to my friends before we leave?" I asked my parents. They told me to be quick about it, but let me go. I ran over to where Christian, Mia, and Eddie were all whispering to each other. "What's going on?" I kept my voice low.

Mia answered, "We ran into Mason's parents." I grimaced. "Yeah, I know. We didn't know if we should approach them or not, but figured finding Lissa was more important than whatever was going on between us. Eddie stayed back, just in case."

"Which was a good thing," Christian took over. "They're still miserable over Mason. Mrs. Ashford's eyes were still all puffy from crying and Mr. Ashford looked like he was hitting the bottle pretty hard. No telling what kind of reaction they'd have towards Eddie."

I took a chance to glance over at Eddie. He had a haunted look on his face that he always got when Mason's family was brought up. It never happened when we talked about Mason. Like I said before, Eddie was trying to move on with his life, keeping Mason and the happy memories they'd made together in his heart. He no longer blamed himself for Mason's death, but it was still hard on him, especially with Mason's family wanting nothing to do with him.

"Hey," I said, grabbing Eddie's hand in mine. "It'll be alright. They'll come around."

He gave me a ghost of a smile. "Yeah, I know. I just hate seeing how miserable they are. I can't complain, though. They're way better than Patty and Sid." He shuddered.

"What's going on with –"

"Rose!" my mom called. "Come on. We have to leave."

I gave my friends a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry. I have to go. My parents have to go out of town, so I'm staying with Mr. Belikov's little sister tonight. The police wanted me somewhere I've never been before, just in case someone tries to mess with me."

They all told me it was alright – well, except Christian, who obviously thought my parents were crazy for leaving while Lissa was still missing. I had to admit, he was really good for her. He treated her well. – and let me go.

[BREAK]

"Two whole nights!" I yelled, flopping down on Dimitri's bed. I knew I shouldn't have been so happy while my best friend was missing, but I honestly couldn't help myself. "I get to spend two whole nights and a day with just you."

He laughed, putting my bag down next to his dresser. "Well, we have two nights together, but tomorrow will be spent trying to find Lissa."

I nodded, feeling ashamed at myself. "I know. I can't believe that slipped my mind."

"Hey," he replied in a soft tone, sitting down next to me. "I'll admit that I'm not happy about _why _you're here, but I am happy that you're here. I know it's hard having your best friend gone, but let's try to make the most of this. Alright?"

"Okay." I said, intertwining our fingers. "What do you want to do first?"

I ran my hand along his chest and he closed his eyes. Ever since he'd called me hot after beating up Adrian, I couldn't wait for this opportunity. I hadn't known it would come this soon, but I definitely wasn't going to complain. I got up on my knees in front of him, kissing his neck. Suddenly, his hands wrapped around my waist, picking me up and laying me down on the bed. He got on top of me, holding himself up by his arms.

He leaned down, leaving a trail of kisses up my neck and to my ear. When he did, he whispered, "I have something I've been wanting to do with you for a while now."

I shivered, my body suddenly burning with desire for him. "I know," I whispered back. "Me, too."

He chuckled, slipping off of me and leaving me feeling cold. "That's not what I'm talking about, Rose."

For some reason, I felt like I'd just been slapped. No, that wasn't quite the right description. My heart felt like it had plummeted into my stomach. My throat was suddenly extremely dry and I felt my face begin to heat up. The typical prickling sensation that meant I was about to cry rose in my eyes. I cast my gaze away from him, to the floor, feeling…

…rejected.

I quickly hopped up from the bed. I needed to retreat, get somewhere he couldn't follow me. I didn't want him to see the emotion that his rejection had brought up in me. "Uh, yeah," I said quickly, hoping he wasn't paying too much attention. "I'm, um, going to go to the bathroom."

"Rose, wait," he said, grabbing hold of my arm. He pulled me back to him, but I still wouldn't look at his face. "That can wait, can't it? I have – What's wrong? Rose, look at me."

I tried not to, but he tilted my chin up so that I had to look at him. His face was all blurry, probably from the tears in my eyes, so I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Even though my face was on fire, the rest of my body felt like it had been in ice for three days, making it completely numb. "I'm fine." I whispered, knowing I sounded anything but.

He shook his head. "No, you aren't fine. What is it? Did I say something wrong? Do something wrong?"

"I…" I really didn't know what to say. How could he not see it? "I just – I thought…well, that maybe you'd… Know what? Never mind. It's stupid." But even as I spoke the words, I knew it was anything but stupid. At least, to me. A tear threatened to fall, so I broke Dimitri's grip on me and quickly rubbed my eyes, hoping he hadn't seen.

Again, he shook his head. He brushed a piece of hair behind my ear. "Rose, you know you can tell me anything. I'm sure it's not stupid, especially since whatever it is brought out this kind of reaction in you. I promise, whatever it is, I won't judge you. Just tell me."

I wasn't so sure that he wouldn't judge me. Maybe he'd changed his mind about having sex with me again. That wasn't so hard to believe, considering I _was _underage and it was illegal. Maybe he decided it wasn't worth the risk. I made the quick decision to just tell him. I glanced down at the floor and took a deep breath, making myself say it as fast as I could before I could chicken out.

"I just thought that, I don't know, after what you said earlier, you'd want to be with me again. I understand if you don't want to, though. There's no pressure. That's kind of weird, thinking that _I'm _pressuring you. It should be the other way around, right?" I was rambling now, trying to hide just how bad I felt. "Well, maybe not, since there is that age difference between us. I guess you're just trying to be a responsible ad –"

I was cut off as Dimitri's lips took hold of mine. As much as I loved kissing him, I just couldn't get into it. Actually, it kind of made me feel worse than I already did. Squeezing my eyes shut, I kissed him back, a tear falling down my cheek as I did.

He pulled away from me, wiping the tear from my cheek when he did. "Oh, Roza, that wasn't what I meant. Of course I want to make love to you again. That was one of the best experiences of my life, not just because of the pleasure, but because I was experiencing it with _you_. But I only want to do it again if you want to. I just…well, I wanted to give you something first."

His words made me feel better, but I still felt the stinging in my heart. Now that he'd cleared things up, I was even more embarrassed. Still, I tried to make things better instead of letting him know how foolish I felt. I did the usual thing I did in situations, well, not like _this_, but situations that were embarrassing. I joked around. "You mean, like a present? For me?"

Dimitri smiled, giving me a soft peck on the lips. "Yes. Give me just a minute and I'll go get it. Why don't you make yourself comfortable?"

I did as he suggested, sitting down on the edge of the bed. The burning in my face had begun to lighten up, as did the numbness in my body. I could now feel the relief washing over me. _You should have known he wasn't rejecting you, _I thought. _Dimitri loves you. He'd never do anything to hurt you or – _

I stopped thinking as Dimitri came back in the room. He was carrying a small, black velvet box, the kind that held rings. With a smile on his face, he came to kneel on both knees in front of me. My breathing hitched. Was he doing what I thought he was doing? No, he couldn't be. We hadn't even been dating a month. Then again, I really wouldn't mind. He and I had a connection that I knew I'd never find anywhere else. He was the one I was meant to be with. But hadn't I _just _thought earlier tonight that we had a long way to go before this happened?

He opened the box and my mind was quickly shushed as I looked at the ring inside. It was simple, but beautiful.

"It's sterling silver," Dimitri explained. "These are diamonds, four of them." The ring had two diamond studded hearts in the middle of it, with two more diamonds on either side of the hearts. It wasn't flashy or anything – the diamonds were small – but it was very, very gorgeous.

"Oh, Dimitri," I whispered. "It's beautiful." Then all my earlier thoughts came rushing back. "Wait, you aren't…? I mean, I love it, don't get me wrong. I just don't want things to move too fast."

He stared at me, confused. I saw when the light bulb went off over his head. "Oh. _Oh._ No, no, not anything like that. This is just…well, think of it as a promise ring. Not the traditional kind, either. I wanted to give you something special, something that will remind you that I'm in this for the long haul. Basically, it's a promise for the future."

I smiled, my bad mood completely lifted. "It's amazing, Dimitri, truly. Here, let me try it on."

"Allow me." he said, taking the ring out of the box. He took my right hand, placing it on my middle finger. I'd wanted it on the finger next to my pinky, but Dimitri shook his head. "I tried to get the right size for your middle finger because I specifically didn't want you to wear it on the one you had in mind. Most women wear rings from suitors on that finger and we wouldn't want anyone getting suspicious."

I told him he was right as he slipped the ring on me. It fit perfectly, but I hadn't expected any less. I wrapped my arms around him. "Thank you so much. I love it. I love _you_."

Dimitri pulled out of my arms so he could look at me. "And I love you." He paused. "But I have to say, I am a little hurt at your reaction. You would've said no if I _had _been purposing?"

I thought about that for a minute before answering. "Well…yes. I mean, I do want to marry you. Someday. But right now…? No. I'm still in high school! Maybe after a couple of years together. I just don't want to rush into things. We have so much time ahead of us."

As he sat there, looking into my eyes, I had no idea what he was thinking. Maybe he really was hurt that I would've said no. But, instead, he said, "You know, you may be seven years my junior, but sometimes you surprise me with how mature you are. I guess it's one of the reasons I fell in love with you in the first place."

With that, we made love for the second time.

[BREAK]

I was trying my hardest to go to sleep. It should've been easy after all the physical activity I'd just done. After all, Dimitri was sound asleep right next to me, his breathing deep and even. At first, I'd specifically stayed awake, wanting to watch him while he slept. It was wonderful, seeing him so peaceful. But now sleep was evading me.

I got up and went to the kitchen, getting a glass of milk. It took me a little bit to find the glasses, but it wasn't too hard. I was just trying not to make a lot of noise. I downed the glass and went back to bed, feeling full and ready to sleep.

I'd just started to drift off when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I had half a mind to blow it off, thinking it was my parents, but decided against it. Leaning over, I grabbed it and opened it up.

I wondered if this was the universe playing some joke on me that I didn't find very funny. Would this happen every time Dimitri and I had sex? If so, we were going to have some serious problems.

Because someone had sent me a text. Someone from a blocked number.

It felt like my heart stopped beating as I waited for the text to load. That meant that it had some sort of multimedia attached to it. I hoped it wasn't sound so that it wouldn't wake Dimitri. When it finally popped up, my breath caught in my throat.

_989 Westwood Blvd, 8pm tomorrow night. Come alone. Do __**not **__tell Belikov. Or she dies._

But the text wasn't what had me on edge. I wasn't exactly used to this person harassing me, but I at least expected it. No, what made a little bubble of panic begin to well within me – what I totally _hadn't _expected – was the picture they'd sent.

Lissa was tied to a chair, her hair sticking up all around her face. Her clothes were wrinkled and disheveled. They'd taken her shoes off, probably to keep her from trying to escape. Her eyes were wide and full of fear. I didn't blame her, though.

I would've been terrified, too, if I had a knife up against my throat.

* * *

**I told you we were getting close to the reveal! :D Don't forget to review and let me know what you think!**

** Also, some rumors have recently come to my attention about FanFiction taking down a lot of stories that are M rated or have lemons in them. I don't know if this is true, but I am going to take some precautions. I have all of my documents backed up, so if they take this story down, I'll fix all the mistakes they say I've made and reupload it. It might be on another account because I've heard of them cancelling accounts when they take down stories, but I don't know yet.**

** Bear with me while I rant a little, okay? I think this is totally ridiculous. I've seen some stories taken down that were rated T because they had profanity in them, and now I'm freaking out because my story is T and it has some profanity. What I think is treacherous about this, really, is the fact that the Vampire Academy novels are categorized as young adult (teen) novels and they have profanity in them. They also have sex scenes, even if they are PG-13. So I need your help.**

** 1 – Do you think the sex scene in my story is too vulgar for the T rating? I tried not to make it raunchy for that specific reason, but I'm not sure if they will consider it still too explicit for the rating.**

** 2 – Should I go back and take out all the expletives? This will take a lot of work on my part, but if you guys think I should do it, then I will. **

** Thank you for your feedback in advance. I think this is really dumb, but I also don't want my account taken down. I have so many stories on here that I've yet to finish and I plan on going back and finishing them. Hopefully FanFiction will come to their senses and stop this. **


	14. Unmasked

**Thank you guys for your feedback. I don't think I'll go back and change anything because I honestly don't think I've violated any rules. I thought even before I asked that I hadn't, but if you're a writer, you know how it is with your own stories. There might be things in it that aren't appropriate, but you don't see it that way. Now that I know most – if not all – of you agree with me, I've decided that things are fine the way they are.**

** Also, thank you so much for the reviews! You guys are the best! I'm not sure yet, but this may not be the only book. I may just write a sequel. I probably will because there's no way I can resolve Rose and Dimitri's relationship within this story. You all already know that Rose is still underage and Dimitri is her counselor, so that still has to be resolved. I'll make sure to let you know if there will be a sequel at the end of this one :)**

* * *

"Rose? Are you okay?"

My head snapped up to look at Dimitri. I was sitting at his kitchen table while he got ready to go. We'd just ate breakfast. I hadn't realized it, but I'd been staring at the same spot on the table, my mind somewhere else.

I honestly didn't know what I should do. If I didn't tell anyone about the text and met these people, I could get both Lissa and I killed. At the same time, if I told someone and had them come with me – especially Dimitri – it would get Lissa killed. I was in a lose-lose situation.

"Huh?" I asked, getting my thoughts back together. "Oh, yeah. I'm just worried about Lissa. I hope she's okay." _Because having a knife at your throat constitutes as "okay"._

He walked over to me, picking up my hand and standing me up. "She will be, but only if we keep trying to find her. So let's go."

With one last kiss, we made it out the door and headed to the donut shop, our group's designated meeting spot.

I immediately spotted my friends sitting at a table when we walked through the door. I ran over to them, sitting down. "So have you guys heard anything?"

"Yeah, but it probably isn't anything reliable." Christian answered, running fingers through his black hair. "The police told us this morning that they got a report on Lissa's whereabouts. It came from an anonymous tip. We're checking it out today."

Eddie leaned forward. "I would go along with any tip we got, but Christian's right about this one. The person wouldn't say who they were, but they did say that they saw Lissa in the back of a station wagon, headed toward Big Timber. It's not very reliable."

"They may have just seen someone who looked like Lissa. But it's still something we need to check out." Mia elaborated.

I sighed, knowing that they wouldn't find her. The address I'd been sent the night before was here in Bozeman, but it wasn't like I could tell my friends that. Instead, I nodded. "You're right. We have to check it out, no matter who it came from. But where do we go?"

Eddie nodded toward the cops on the other side of the room. They were having coffee. "They said that we're going to Big Timber to talk to everyone. We also need to put up flyers between here and there. It's going to take all day, at the least."

"What if it takes longer?" Christian asked, worry all over his face. "Do they expect us to go to school, like nothing is wrong?"

I shook my head. "Let's not think about that right now." I knew I couldn't. I already knew that it wouldn't come to that. Lissa would either be out tomorrow, or she would be… I couldn't think the word. I couldn't let that happen to her. "We need to focus on the present. For all we know, we could find her today."

Thirty minutes later, we were in the back of a cop car. Christian rode in the front – which the cop told us was illegal, so we couldn't let anyone else know we'd gotten a ride from them – and the rest of us rode in the back. Even though I knew we were working with the police, I couldn't help but feel like I was in trouble. The bulletproof glass in between us and the cops didn't inspire much comfort.

Dimitri, Mr. Dragomir, and the others were staying in town to continue the search here. Even though we'd already checked every place in Bozeman, we couldn't be too careful.

"You kids don't need to worry too much." Mahoney, one of the cops who'd come to my house after the theater incident, told us as we drove to Big Timber. "We'll find your friend in no time. We won't let anything happen to her."

My friends all nodded while I thought about how this could be my big opening. Should I tell him I knew where Lissa was? If I did, they would probably go there straight away, possibly getting the jump on Lissa's kidnappers.

And that's when I came up with a plan. It suddenly occurred to me that I didn't have to play games with these people. Instead of meeting them at their appointed time, I could go as soon as I got away from my friends. There was a chance it wouldn't work – they may be holding Lissa somewhere else – but I had to try it.

I worked until noon with my friends, doing the same exact thing we'd done the day before. I was almost vibrating from being so nervous while I stapled flyers to trees and telephone line poles. Mia and Eddie were two streets over, talking to pedestrians, and Christian was with Mahoney on the other side of town. Looking at the flyer I'd just posted, I decided to put my plan in action.

There was a bus stop just down the road. I was surprised to find the bus schedule taped to the outside of a building behind the bus stop. They didn't do that in Bozeman. If you wanted to know when the next bus was coming, you had to go to the bus station. I'd always found that to be ridiculous because if you were using the bus, you'd have no way to get to the bus station other than the bus or walking. If you decided to walk, why not just walk to the place you were trying to get to?

I had really good timing. The schedule said the bus would arrive in five more minutes, but it pulled up to the curb just as I sat down on the bench they had set up.

"Two fifty," the bus driver said as I made it to the top of the stairs.

I dug around in the small bag I'd brought with me. It held the tape and pins I'd used to tack the flyers up with, a few more flyers, and my wallet. To my dismay, I found that the smallest bill I had was a five. It looked like the bus driver would be getting a tip today since he thrust his hand in the box I'd just put my money in.

This bus wouldn't take me all the way into Bozeman. It only went to the city limits, but it was easy enough to walk into town from there. I sat down in an empty row of seats, hoping the next hour would go by fast. That dream was shattered, however, when an old woman who had a bad cough and smelled like cat pee sat down next to me at the next stop.

I stepped off the bus at Bozeman's city limits feeling a little woozy from the smell of that woman. I was amazed that she hadn't gotten off the bus sooner, but maybe being around that smell constantly messed with her head a little too much. For all I knew, she rode the bus just to _get away _from that smell.

The walk into town would've been peaceful if it weren't for all the turmoil I felt. The birds were out, probably because the neighborhood I was in had bird feeders all around. The sky was a bright blue, clusters of white clouds scattered all around it. I tried to focus on these things instead of the feelings of doom and gloom inside me.

I took another bus over to Penn street. From there, it was an easy walk to Westwood.

It wasn't until I made it to 981 Westwood Boulevard that I started to shake. I stopped walking, counting four addresses down to see a white brick building. It looked like a warehouse, but I couldn't be sure until I was inside.

"Calm down," I whispered to myself. "Everything is going to be okay. You just have to get in, find Lissa, release her from whatever prison they have her in, and get her and yourself out, all without being seen. Piece of cake."

_You go right ahead and keep telling yourself that… _the snarky voice in the back of my head hissed. I didn't have time to acknowledge it right now.

I decided to walk around the building, hoping there was a back entrance. It would be a lot easier to sneak in that way instead of going right in the front door. I went down the alley that led to the back, noticing that all the windows in the building were at the top of the wall. The windows on the other side were probably the same as these, but I decided I'd check just in case. If they were, that meant I had to go in through the back, either through a back door or window.

I made it to the back pleasantly surprised. The universe may have been against me lately, but it seemed that my bad luck streak may have come to an end. There was a back door, but there were also regular sized windows. I hoped they were unlocked. It would be a lot easier to slip in through a window. There was a small parking lot for this building and the one behind it – Radio Shack – but no cars were parked in it.

A sign next to the back door caught my attention.

_**Warning: **__this parking lot for employees of Radio Shack and Watson's Locksmith __**only**__. All vehicles without proper documentation will be towed at all times._

So that's what this place was, a locksmith. How would anyone know that when there wasn't a sign in the front? I pushed that thought from my mind as I approached one of the windows. It didn't matter right now.

I pressed my hands on the glass, lightly pushing up. It didn't budge. I pushed harder, hoping it wouldn't make a noise if it did open, but I didn't have to worry about that. The window was locked. I used the end of my shirt to wipe my handprints off the glass before moving to the next one. I repeated the process to find that this one was locked as well. As I wiped the glass, I prayed that the third window was open.

It was. Part of me wondered how a locksmith could be so sloppy – especially when they'd kidnapped someone – but I didn't make myself think about it too much. I slipped quietly in through the window. When I was inside, I immediately looked around, hoping no one had seen me. Luckily, there was no one around.

I was in a room that measured the width of the building. It looked like an office, but there was a mattress on the floor in the corner, signaling that someone was also using the room as living space. In the corner opposite the bed, there was a desk with a ton of paperwork on it. On the side of the room with the windows, there were two sinks. A coffee pot sat on the counter next to one of the sinks. The walls were bare and the floor was covered in tan carpet, making my footsteps lighter.

Two thoughts popped into my head simultaneously. The first was that I needed to find a way to wipe my handprints off the window. If someone saw them, they would definitely know something was up and do a search of the building. The second was that I hadn't even thought about a security system as I was sneaking in. I wrote down a task on my mental to-do list: _ask Dimitri for sleuth lessons to go along with self-defense._

_ Dimitri… _He would be furious with me when he found out what I'd done. I wondered if anyone had noticed I was gone yet. I was sure they'd send me a text message when they did, but I wouldn't be able to get it until I got out of here. I'd turned my phone off before coming here, just in case. I already knew what I would tell them if no one was here and I had to go back to town – that I'd sent them all text messages explaining I'd gone home to get a picture of Lissa in the outfit she was wearing when she got kidnapped. When they claimed they never got it, I'd just tell them it was because of spotty service.

Looking around, I spotted a rag on the counter with the coffee pot. I grabbed it before pulling the window down enough to stick my hand through. I quickly wiped the handprints off and closed it. Putting the rag back where I'd found it, making sure it was in exactly the same position, I walked toward the door on the other side of the room from the windows.

It was closed. I put my ear up to it, listening intently. I heard voices, but they were very light and muffled. I assumed that meant there was another room between here and the place the other people were, but I couldn't be sure. For all I knew, this place was open for business and had nothing to do with Lissa's abduction. The kidnappers could've just wanted to meet me here before taking me where they held Lissa.

But I couldn't take that chance. Taking a deep breath, I slowly opened the door, hoping it wouldn't make a sound.

I was right. I'd walked into another room, one lined with keys on the wall. Under the keys were drawers, all labeled with numbers and letters. There were four doors in this room, including the one I'd just come in through. There was a door for each wall. I quickly walked over to the door on the right, putting my ear to it just as I had the previous door.

No voices behind this one. I opened it to find a small room filled with filing cabinets. I got on my tiptoes, trying to see around all the cabinets. Once I was sure Lissa wasn't being held there, I stepped back out and shut the door as quietly as I could, which wasn't quietly enough.

Even shutting it carefully, the door made a small bang as it closed completely. I jumped, hoping the people in the other room hadn't heard it. When I didn't hear the voices anymore, though, I jerked the door back open, darting into the room. I made sure to pay extra attention when closing it again – it turned out the latch in the doorknob wouldn't close unless you turned it all the way, which was probably how it'd made that noise – and it didn't make a sound.

I weaved around filing cabinets and papers that were scattered around the floor until I made it to the back of the room. I heard a door open in the room I'd just come from as I ducked behind the cabinet furthest from the door.

I held my breath as I waited. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, _I chastised myself. _You should've been paying more attention! If you get caught, you'll probably doom Lissa!_

The door to the room opened. My back was to the cabinet, its icy coldness barely noticeable now that I was so scared. I made sure not to move a muscle, afraid my reflection might be caught on another of the shiny, black cabinets. If it was, it should be easy to overlook, especially way back here with so many obstacles blocking the person who'd just walked in's sight. If I moved, however, it would do the exact opposite, drawing their attention straight to me.

It felt like I sat there for an hour, stock-still, but only a few seconds went by. I heard the door close again, but I stayed where I was. If the person had noticed anything was up, they might be trying to play a trick on me. The cold of the cabinet was getting to me now that my adrenaline had dropped a little. A shiver went through me, one that in no way reminded me of the shivers Dimitri could make me feel.

Thinking that way about Dimitri made me feel guilty. He trusted me absolutely and here I was, breaking that trust. Maybe I should've told him about the text, should've gotten him to come here with me. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how dumb I'd been. If I'd have used my brain and thought of this plan earlier, I could've gotten Dimitri to come with me. If I told him I didn't want anyone else involved, he would've respected my wishes. In fact, I thought that was how Dimitri would've preferred it – he and I sneaking in here together to find Lissa.

But it was too late now. I snapped back to my current situation, realizing I'd been sitting here for way too long. I slowly peeked around the corner of the cabinet, finding no one else in the room with me. Listening, I heard the soft murmur of voices in the other room again. Whoever had done the sweep of the perimeter must not have found anything and gone back to the front of the building.

I got up and went back to the door, almost slipping on some papers as I did. I managed to get out of the room – without a sound, thankfully – and went straight to the door on the other side of the room. Making sure there were no voices on the other side of the door, I went in.

This room was disgusting. It was filled with old cleaning supplies that had obviously not been used in here. A plastic, fold-out table sat in the middle of the room, covered in dust and buckets. Most of the buckets were empty, but there were a few with murky, film-covered water. They must have been used for mopping. A couple of shelves on the table had halfway fallen, making the jars and containers on top – filled with things that were indistinguishable and gross – fall down. A few had broken, leaving what looked like sticky fluid covering all of them. The floor to this room was different from the others. It was tile instead of carpet.

There was another door in here, one that looked like it also led to the front of the building. To my dismay, it was open. That meant I had to pay extra attention to where I stepped. It proved to be hard, though, when I came across a slippery substance on the ground. With some maneuvering, I managed to stay upright, but not without some of the stuff getting on my shoes. It made it harder to move around, but at least they didn't make any sound.

I made it to the side of the doorway. Looking inside, I saw a long counter with – surprise! – more papers under it. There were also a few scattered keys and locks. Now that I thought about it, the drawers in the room with the keys probably had locks like those in them. The walls in the other room were an ugly, dull yellow. I didn't have time to look around anymore, though, because I was too busy listening to what the people in the room were saying. I could hear them perfectly now.

"I don't know," said a woman. "I just don't know anymore. Bringing that Dragomir girl into this seems like too much."

_I know that voice, _I thought. _I've heard it before…but where? _I couldn't remember. I kept listening, hoping it would come to me soon. If I could figure out who these people were and sneak out, I could tell the police who'd taken Lissa.

"I was thinking that, too," replied a man. "But we can't back out now. It's too late."

Someone sighed. I assumed it was the woman. "It's a shame we'll have to kill her. She knows too much. She's seen our faces. We should've worn masks."

_Kill _Lissa? No. I wouldn't let that happen.

There was another sigh, but this one sounded different, more frustrated. "I know, I know. I heard you the first fifty times you said that."

"Don't you go getting all huffy with me, Sidney Blaine Lester. You know I'm right. That poor young girl didn't have to die. I don't even know if I can go through with it. Maybe we can just…knock her on the head or something. Make her forget, like that hussy did." the woman huffed.

I couldn't feel my body. I should've known as soon as I heard her voice who she was. Patty Lester, Mason's grandmother. The man speaking to her was Sid, her husband. Thinking back, I should have seen this coming, should have _known _Patty and Sid were behind this. Memories of the past few months came rushing back to me.

_"Patty and Sid have a pretty bad reputation. I heard about Rebecka's outburst at the hospital… Let's just say that Patty and Sid were the one's she got her attitude from. They all shoot and ask questions later." _Mason's mom had explained to me.

Another memory came after that, one right after the viewing, when Patty had come up to me and my friends. _Patty took turns looking at each of us before shaking her head. "Everyone will know what you did. You just watch."_

Lissa's words flashed through my mind, the ones she'd spoken after I'd asked her who the mysterious text might be from. _"I can only think of two people: Camille and Patty." _It was as if she were right next to me, speaking the words in my ear.

The last one was of Eddie and what he'd told me the night before. _"I just hate seeing how miserable they are. I can't complain, though. They're way better than Patty and Sid."_

Even as I made all the connections, though, something at the back of my mind was nagging at me. Why would they go after _me_? Wasn't Eddie the one they blamed for their grandson's death? It didn't matter right then, though. I quickly decided that I would wait until they were in police custody to ask them why they did it. I'd leave, go tell the cops Sid and Patty were the ones behind all this, and we'd bust them here before they could do anything to Lissa.

But, wait. Where w_as _Lissa? I'd searched every room in this building, save for the front, and surely they wouldn't keep her there. What if someone came in for services? Even if they didn't expect anyone, with no sign on the door, someone could easily come in on accident. So…maybe they weren't keeping Lissa here.

As I began crouching – so I could be smaller and a little more comfortable after all that walking today – a thought popped into my head out of nowhere. _Did she just call me a _hussy_?_

Before I could think further on that, however, I froze. I'd been so caught up in listening to them and making all the connections that I'd forgotten about the stuff on my shoes. When I crouched down, they squeaked. I knew it was loud enough for Patty and Sid to hear in the other room.

I glanced around at my surroundings. There was no place to hide in here. If I tried to make it to the door, I'd have to get around the substance on the floor while still being quick. I knew I wouldn't be able to do that without falling. I could always go around the other side of the table, but who knew what else was over there? From the looks of it, I'd have to dodge some buckets anyway, so that was out.

I stood up, getting into the guard stance Dimitri taught me. The only way out of this was to fight, but that didn't bother me. I could take on two old-timers.

Two seconds after I got in my stance, Patty came around the corner. When she saw me, her eyes widened in shock. I took advantage of the opportunity, landing a smooth right punch to her right eye. It was hard; she would have a black eye later today. She stumbled back, hitting the doorframe behind her. "_That _is for calling me a hussy." I said, feeling triumphant.

For an old woman, she sure did bounce back fast. She threw herself at me, her hands grabbing whatever she could. I grabbed her hips, knowing her body would follow whatever direction they were facing. With as force as I could muster, I shoved her back, making her hit the wall hard.

We both cried out in pain. I hadn't noticed when I was grabbing her, but she'd latched on to my earring before I could push her off. When I did, my earring tore through my earlobe, sending a jolt of searing white pain through me. I quickly chastised myself for not taking my earrings off before sneaking in here.

Before Patty could recover – she'd hit her head on the wall _hard_ – arms wrapped around me at my elbows. They pinned my arms to my body so well that I could barely move them. That wasn't a problem, though. Dimitri had shown me a few ways to get out of a hold like this since it had happened both times I'd been attacked. I decided to go for the quickest one.

I doubled over. There were two ways this could go: either Sid would lose his grip on me and I could turn to fight him, or he wouldn't and I would have to headbutt him. Because his arms didn't loosen their hold on me, I brought the top half of my body back up as fast as I could. I only knew when the moment of impact had come from Sid's cry. He let go of me and I stumbled forward, hoping the force of the hit had been enough to slow him down.

I decided to go for the front entrance, which was closer than the back. To do that, though, I had to get through Patty, who looked like she held the fires of Hell in her eyes. I guess she'd shaken off the hit to her head. We were close enough for me to land a blow on her, but I needed something that would incapacitate her quickly. If I wound up in another scuffle with her, Sid would be right on top of me before I could move a foot.

Getting into guard with the lithe of a cheetah – at least, that's how it seemed to me – I spun my right foot into the air in front of me, going straight for her head…

…and missed.

I'd kicked too hard to stop, the force of it making me fly toward the table. My arms flailed, desperately trying to find something to steady myself, but finding nothing. I hit the table hard enough for it to fold up, going down with it. When the table hit the ground, the force knocked the air out of my lungs. It didn't help matters when the buckets of disgusting water came showering down on top of me. There wouldn't be enough soap in the world to make me feel clean again, if I ever _did _get clean.

As I tried to get oxygen to go back down my throat, someone grabbed me by my hair and yanked me up. _Maybe Dimitri was wrong, _I thought. _I should cut my hair so things like this stop happening. _When I was on my knees, a pair of arms swung under mine, coming back up to wrap behind my head. They used their leverage to pull me to my feet.

"Quit resisting. There's no use, we have you. You're in no shape to keep fighting." Sid whispered in my ear.

I struggled in his grasp, knowing there was no way I'd be able to headbutt him again. His hands were between our heads, so I'd wind up just getting a punch to the back of my head. I was also really dizzy after my fall and the lack of oxygen, so I couldn't afford another hit to my head. I tried to kick his legs out from under him, finally getting air back in my lungs.

"Let go of me!" I yelled. "You won't get away with this, even if you _do _kill us!"

He ignored me. "Get the ropes and handcuffs, Patricia. Quickly now." I heard Patty scuttle off without a word. Sid whispered in my ear again, "Oh, we'll get away with it, sweetheart. I assure you. But we're not some cheesy bad guys in a movie. We won't go telling you our plans and we won't let you go, so you can just save your breath."

I heard Patty's footsteps as she came back in the room. She walked over right next to Sid. "Now, this'll hurt, but I'm not sorry." I felt the bite of metal in my skin as she clicked the handcuffs on my right wrist. Once they were on both my wrists, Sid let go of my arms. Before I could do anything, his hands came down on my shoulders. Taking advantage of the dirty water on the floor, he pushed down, causing my feet to go out from under me. I hit the floor, seeing stars from the pain that went through my tailbone.

Before I could get my vision back – or stop being consumed by the pain – someone rolled my pants legs up. More metal bit into my legs. Realizing that someone was taking off the handcuffs on my wrists, I thrashed, but it was no good. I couldn't get any leverage from the position I was in and they soon had me restrained again, this time with my hands behind my back.

Patty handed Sid one end of a rope before they began wrapping it around my torso. I wriggled around as much as I could, but it didn't matter. They soon had me tied up.

Sid picked me up, throwing me over his shoulder. These two were a lot stronger than they looked. I brought my legs back and ran my feet into his legs, hoping he'd fall over. When he didn't, I kicked again, but Patty grabbed my legs before I could do any real damage.

I couldn't do anything as they sat me down in a hard chair in the filing cabinet room. Another rope was around Patty's shoulder, one they used to tie me to the chair. I panicked as I thought about the fact that there was no way I'd be getting through _two _ropes, let alone one. Even if I was able to hop away, which I highly doubted, I couldn't use my arms, so I couldn't open a window or door.

They set up three filing cabinets so they were all around me, to my left, right, and back. Glancing over at them, my heart fell when I realized I couldn't use anything on them to cut the ropes off.

As they dragged another chair in the room – presumably so someone could watch me comfortably – I heard the unmistakable ring of a bell. Hoping it was a customer, I yelled as loud as I could, "_Help! _I'm being held here! Help!"

Patty and Sid shared a look. Patty turned to me and said, "Won't do you any good. No customers today." Just before she left the room, she glanced back. "Oh, and you _are _a hussy. No point in getting mad over it."

Instead of getting mad and giving her the reaction she wanted, I smiled. "You're doing your makeup well these days, Patricia. Too bad it won't cover that eye of yours. It's already swelling up."

She glared at me, touching her eye before leaving the room.

I turned my attention to Sid, who was now sitting in the other chair they'd brought in. "You may not tell me what exactly it is you plan on doing to me, but I at least want to know one thing. Why? I thought you were mad at Eddie, not me."

"That's not for me to tell." he replied calmly.

I scoffed. "Oh, don't tell me _she's _the brains of this operation. I heard the two of you talking earlier. She may be able to order you around because she's your wife, but she helped kidnap Lissa even though she didn't want to. If she were the leader of this operation, she wouldn't do anything she didn't want. So, again, why are _you _doing this to me?"

Sid opened his mouth to reply, but he never got the chance. A loud laugh had emerged from outside the room. "Oh, _he _didn't do this to you." a feminine voice said. She stepped into the doorway, a grin that I couldn't describe as anything but evil on her face. "_I _did."

All of the theories I'd been coming up with – even though there weren't many – since finding out Patty and Sid were doing this disintegrated.

"Rebecka?!"

* * *

**Duh duh duuuuuuh! So, tell me, did you guess correctly? Did you see this coming? Or were you blind sighted? Tell me in a review! Let me know whether you think Rebecka was the mastermind behind everything that's happened to Rose – in the alley, at the theater, all the texts – or not. Don't forget to tell me why you think she did it as well. For those of you who might not remember who Rebecka is – she's had a very small part in the story – she is Mason's mom. I know that was mentioned earlier in this chapter, but I just wanted to make sure you all knew. Thanks so much for reading! :) **


	15. Submerged

**Thank you for the reviews! In this chapter, everything will be explained. I know a lot of you are confused, but just know that you shouldn't feel bad for not figuring it out. The reason she did it hasn't been talked about yet. Rose doesn't even know why! So, here we go…**

* * *

Rebecka gave another harsh laugh. Never in a million years did I think I would hear something so brutal come from sweet, animal activist Rebecka. "And why wouldn't it be me, Rose? You _did _kill my son."

"What?! No, I didn't. You know that. Mason's death was an accident!" I shrieked. I was panicking. How could it be her? I had to be dreaming. I _had_ to.

Instead of answering, she jumped forward and slapped me hard across the face. I would most likely have some sort of mark there. "_You _do not get to ask questions. I will explain everything to you, Rose, but you must be patient." She turned to Sid. "Get out."

His face contorted in anger. "Listen here, little lady. You don't order me around, I –"

Rebecka spun on him, her fists flying up so that it looked like she would punch him. "I said _get. OUT!" _I couldn't see her face, but I didn't think I needed to. The tone of her voice was menacing. I wondered again how she could have made this 180 in her personality.

Without another word, and a glare, Sid rose from his chair and slowly walked out of the room. Rebecka closed the door behind him before dragging the chair he'd been sitting in in front of me. She sat down in front of me, her face thoughtful. I wanted to ask a million questions, but I had no desire to be hit again.

"Don't worry, Rose," she told me after a long silence. "You know as well as I do that I can't stand seeing a living creature harmed. I've made an exception for _you_, of course, but that doesn't mean I can kill you."

I breathed a sigh of relief, but it wasn't for me. If she still didn't like the thought of killing anything, she probably wouldn't kill Lissa. Even though I knew I'd never get out of this place, I could rest easy knowing that at least Lissa would be alright.

"That's why I'm going to have my parents do it. They've killed before, especially my dad. He was in the army, you know. I always resented him for that – for killing other people just because they viewed the world differently from him – but I guess that's come in handy now. Even so, though, it will be quick. You won't feel a thing when we do it, either. Mason died instantly, so he felt no pain. No matter how angry I am with you, I'm not a barbarian. I'll show you the same respect you showed him." she explained.

"But I didn't do anything! I wasn't even there when Mason died! I loved Mason. I wouldn't do anything to hurt him." I pleaded.

I thought that she would slap me again, but she remained calm. No, calm wasn't the right way to put it. She looked more like someone who was finally getting what they wanted after months of agony. I now noticed the bags under eyes and the paleness of her skin. Her long, dark red hair was dull and greasy. The clothes she wore were tattered and wrinkled. I wondered how no one had noticed just how off she looked, but then thought better of it. Of course a woman who just lost her son would look horrible.

But the very worst part about her were her eyes. It wasn't because they were bloodshot and puffy. It was because they looked glossed over, as if she were living in a permanent hallucination. Maybe she felt like she was.

A small, hysterical chuckle escaped her lips, which were chapped. "Oh, Rose. You did do it. It's because of you that Mason was even out there that day. Don't tell me you didn't know that."

I had no idea how to respond to that. I honestly didn't know what she was talking about, but if I told her that, she might hurt me again. Then again, if I said I did, she would most likely know I was lying and hurt me for that. So I opted for silence.

Rebecka kept looking at me, expectantly. When it was obvious that I wasn't going to reply, she got up and walked over to one of the filing cabinets in the corner of the room. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a rolling pin. "This would be a lot easier if you would just work with me. I believe you will after this."

Before I could say anything to that, Rebecka leapt forward with a quickness I never knew she had. I almost – _almost _– didn't see the rolling pin coming. A small flash of yellow appeared in the corner of my vision just before excruciating pain enveloped the left side of my head. I sagged in the chair, the ropes being the only thing holding me up.

"Now," Rebecka began, sitting down. "My father doesn't want me to tell you anything, but I think you deserve to know the truth." I could barely hear her through the ringing in my ears. "I don't want you to be afraid, Rose. I promise that you won't feel a thing when the time comes for your death. David has morphine from his office and we're going to give you some before we snap your neck. It's a very strong drug. It may even knock you out."

I managed a small laugh. "Well…at least…that's something."

"That's a good girl." Rebecka told me, approving of my comment. I don't think she realized I was being sarcastic. You know what they say, sarcasm is an art. Most people would have a hard time making any kind of art after being hit in the head with a rolling pin. "Like I said, my father doesn't want me to tell you our plans, but I disagree. You need to know everything before you die, Rose. I don't want to continue your suffering on the other side, wherever that may be.

"Now that you know what will happen to you, I will grant your wish. I'll tell you why I'm doing this to you. Forgive me if this takes a while. I've been practicing what I'd say to you when I got you here, but now that the moment has come, I can't seem to decide what to say. So I'll just tell you everything."

Rebecka got up and began to pace, swinging the rolling pin back and forth between her hands. "Mason was born a big, bouncing baby boy. We knew from the start that he had my hair and his father's eyes. As he grew up, I became even more attached to him, which I didn't think was possible. That is one thing I'm sorry for; you will never know the love you feel for your child. Maybe that's just as well, though…

"We came back here a couple of years ago because of Mason. For some unfathomable reason, the kids at his old school mocked him for being a 'ginger'. They told him he had no soul, that they didn't want someone like him around them. As a result, he had no friends. When David learned that there was a building here in town that he could use for his veterinary office, we decided to move. And that's where everything started going downhill.

"I was glad my baby was making new friends. He was happy, which is all I wanted for him. But I soon realized that you and your group of friends were bad influences. Mason would come back home at all hours of the night, thinking I didn't know he was sneaking in. David talked me into letting it go for a little while, saying that Mason was a teenage boy and that's what teenage boys do. But one day, I couldn't help myself. I charged into his room, telling him that he was never allowed to see you or your friends again outside of school.

"Do you know what he said to me?" Rebecka stopped for a moment, tearing up. I would've felt bad for her if it weren't for the fact that she was the one who had me tied up to a chair. She'd apparently cut my forehead when she hit me with the rolling pin. There was blood running down the side of my face. "He told me that he hated me. My baby, the one I brought into this world, had turned against me.

"It would've been fine if it had just been your friends, but you were different. Mason told me he loved you, that he couldn't be away from you. You must know that I was surprised. My little boy had never told me about having a crush on a girl before. It especially came as a shock when I saw how passionate he was about you. I knew at that moment that there was no way I'd be able to keep him from you. It wasn't just because he was adamant about loving you that made me come to that decision. No, it was also because I knew he really would hate me if I kept you apart, something that I could never let happen.

"So I went ahead and let him continue seeing you. As time went on and I saw the two of you together more and more often, I decided that your relationship wasn't such a bad thing. You made my boy so, _so _happy. I found myself pleasantly surprised when I began to like you, Rose. It happened after that incident with Camille Conta and her posse. Do you remember that?"

I nodded. I did remember. It happened our sophomore year, during the first semester. Camille made a remark during class that Mason had the ugliest color hair she'd ever seen. I'd known how Mason felt about his hair – he always talked about how he hated it – so I stood up for him.

_"At least his hair doesn't look like a cat got into a fight with it. You really should learn how not to be so hypocritical, Conta." I'd replied to her, in front of everyone. Even the teacher looked smug when I said it._

_ She flipped her hair, trying not to look fazed by my comment. "You _would _know all about Mason's hair, Hathaway. You've probably had your hands all in it plenty of times." By the wriggle of her eyebrows, everyone knew what she'd meant. That Mason and I had had sex._

_ It wasn't true, of course, but that didn't stop the teacher from chastising Camille. I smiled, flipping my own hair over my shoulder. "Well, then, I should be an expert on his hair by now. I've felt yours, too." I turned to the rest of the class. "Remember when all that hair was in the hallway the last day of last year? Well, that was Camille's hair, and I was the one who did it. Let me tell you, that stuff is like a spider's web. There's so much hairspray in it, it'll suck you right in if you get too close. Mason's hair, though, doesn't need any product to look amazing. And it feels pretty great, too."_

_The teacher stopped me after that, but I'd done what I set out to do. Camille turned red and gave her attention back to the lesson. I caught Mason's eye and gave him a wink. He was blushing, but he worded a silent thank you to me and smiled._

"You got in trouble the next day when Camille told Fink, right?" Rebecka asked, snapping me out of the flashback.

I shrugged, still feeling woozy. "It was worth it."

Suddenly, Rebecka was kneeling down in front of me. Now that we were face-to-face, I could see that she was crying. "That's what I'm talking about, Rose. You looked out for Mason, took care of him when I wasn't able to. No matter what happens here, I want you to know that I appreciate that."

She stood back up, her moment of weakness apparently gone. "But, you see, there was a problem with all of that. All that time he talked about loving you, I'd thought you two were dating. When I found out you weren't – when you brought that Jesse Zeklos kid to our house – I was beside myself. It took everything I had – and a lot of talking to from David – not to kick you out of my house then and there.

"But, even so, I stepped back and let the two of you work it out. I convinced myself that you would get together eventually, so it didn't matter who you dated then. So, I went on with my life, up until March of this year. We were in the church, waiting for the sermon to start. I hadn't known you and Mason were sitting behind me until I heard you talking…about guns." She gave me a pointed look.

I thought back hard – which wasn't easy with a head wound – and finally remembered what she was talking about.

_"So you liked the movie?" Mason asked me as we sat down in a pew. I didn't normally go to church, but he'd begged me to go so we could hang out by ourselves for a little while. All my other friends went to different churches._

_ I nodded, turning toward him. "You bet I did. Bruce Willis might be getting up there in age, but you put a gun in his hand, have him smack around a few bad guys, and he's pretty hot."_

_ Mason laughed. "Oh, so all I have to do is get a gun, fight a couple of people, and then you'll finally agree to go out on a date with me?"_

_ I always hated having these conversations. Of course I liked Mason, maybe even enough to date, but I was scared of what might happen. I didn't originally think of him as boyfriend material. If we tried it out and it didn't work, it could ruin our friendship and make things awkward with our other friends. So I cracked a joke, hoping it would defuse the situation. "As if you'd be able to do all that. I'll tell you what: learn how to use a gun, take some lessons from Chuck Norris, and then we'll talk."_

_ I thought that would stop him in his tracks, but instead, he whispered, "I'll get right on that."_

_ The sermon started before I could reply. By the time church was over, we'd totally forgotten our earlier conversation and it was never brought up again._

I looked up at Rebecka, confused. "I don't understand…"

She sighed. "Of course you wouldn't. Let me explain. As you already know, David and I are very much against the use of firearms. They do nothing but cause destruction and are used for the sole purpose of killing. We taught Mason the same thing as he grew up. I thought he was on board with us, but _you _changed all that.

"After Mason…died…I couldn't think straight for days. I was in torment, all the while wondering why Mason would go out and hunt – go out and kill poor, defenseless animals. His father is a veterinarian, for Christ's sake! It evaded me time and time again, until Mason's funeral. When I saw my mother yelling at you and your friends, I was going to stop her. But then, out of nowhere, I remembered the discussion I'd heard you have with my son. Everything clicked into place, then.

"_You _were the reason he was out there, using guns. _You _were the one who _told _him to learn how to use one. It was all your fault. My son was so desperately in love with you that he would do anything to get you to date him and you took advantage of that." Rebecka looked menacing now. The rolling pin, which was now hanging down from her hand, shook with her entire body. I was afraid she would hit me again, but she didn't.

I grasped for something to say, but knew that it would be futile. There was a crazy gleam in Rebecka's eyes, one that told me she wasn't listening to reason right now. She'd made up her mind that I was the one responsible for Mason's death and nothing would change that. I still had to try, though. "Rebecka… I'm truly sorry you feel that way, but I didn't kill Mason. No one did. It was an accident. And Mason knew that I was joking around with him that day. Hell, I told him to get lessons from Chuck freaking Norris! There's no way he took that seriously."

She closed the distance between us in a heartbeat, raising the rolling pin over her head. I knew that if she hit me with it that way, I would lose consciousness. But it didn't really matter. No one knew where I was and there was no way I'd be able to get out of the restraints they'd used on me. I closed my eyes, bracing for impact.

But it never came. When I looked back up, Rebecka was standing in front of the door, tears falling down her face. I averted my eyes, not wanting her to catch me watching her for fear that she'd go through with the hit if she got mad.

She sighed. "I have to leave now, before I do something I'll regret." With that, she did.

[BREAK]

"No, no, no!" David yelled outside of the room they were holding me in. "They've already delayed our renting of the place two days! We can't afford any more time."

I'd been held here for at least a few days. During that time, they gave me no food, but they did give me water. It takes a long time to starve to death, but not to die of dehydration. They told me they didn't want me going like that. I did get bathroom breaks, to my surprise, but they were…unpleasant, to say the least.

Rebecka and David had hired what looked like bodyguards to keep an eye on me. They were the ones who took me to the bathroom. They never left the room and always kept their eyes on me, even when I was doing my business. I would've preferred peeing on myself, but I was already gross from the now dry, nasty water that had fallen on me during my scuffle with Patty and Sid.

I could barely move around or even stay awake. I had no energy, thanks to the lack of food and proper sleep. I'd sometimes find myself waking up, startled, and begin to cry. Most of the time, I cried because I was having a good dream, one in which I was safe at home, with my family, friends, and Dimitri at my side. There were a few others that made me cry, too, though. One was of Rebecka slashing Lissa's throat with the knife I'd seen in the picture they'd sent me. Another was of Dimitri, breaking down when he heard the news of my death.

I found myself wondering what Dimitri and Lissa were doing a lot of the time. My captors never told me anything about Lissa, so I had no idea if they'd let her go or not. They probably hadn't. They were either still holding her, or they'd already killed her. I beat myself up – mentally – all the time for not rescuing her before getting caught.

"Fine!" David continued. "We'll wait _one _more day. That's it, though."

I assumed that he was talking about the place they'd take me to kill me.

Rebecka suddenly appeared in the doorway. It was the first time I'd seen her – other than a few glimpses outside the door – since she'd explained to me why she was doing this. The woman was bat shit crazy. "C'mon. I'm taking you to the bathroom. No funny business."

I wanted to say, "Oh, this is anything but funny," but I kept my mouth shut. The dried blood on the side of my face was a reminder of what talking out of turn would do for me.

She untied me before grabbing my arms. They'd long since gotten rid of one of the ropes – probably because they knew I was too weak to really struggle out of them – and she knew I wouldn't try anything, even with the ropes off.

Rebecka brought me to the bathroom, which turned out to be a small room on the side of the front room, where customers came in. I'd now seen every nook and cranny of this building. Lissa definitely wasn't being held here. The only way she could was if they'd brought her to the back room since I'd been captured. They hadn't brought me back there.

It felt good to stretch my legs, but too soon I was put back in my chair, the rope going back around my torso. Patty called to Rebecka and she hastily finished the tie, running out to see what was going on.

From what I'd gathered while here, they were waiting on the space they'd rented to open up. Something was being done with the place right now, which made it impossible for them to use it. They were planning on giving me the morphine, snapping my neck, and doing something – I hadn't figured out what yet – that would make my body impossible to identify and find. I was actually glad that I didn't have to hear what would happen to my body after my soul left it.

The bell to the front door rang, signaling someone had arrived. I heard everyone's footsteps as they walked into the front room.

I sighed, trying to send telepathic thoughts to my friends. _Mia, Eddie, Christian… I am so, so sorry that I couldn't get Lissa out of here. No matter what happens, you'll all be okay. You've lost so many loved ones: Mason, me, and probably Lissa. It's going to be hard, but you'll move on with your lives. I love you all so much. You've been the best friends in the world. I'm so happy that you were a part of my life._

_ Mom and Dad… I honestly don't know what I could say that would make you feel any better. You've been amazing parents to me, always trying your hardest to keep me safe. I guess I blew that, huh? I don't think you can hear me right now, but maybe one day I'll visit you in a dream or something, tell you what I want you to know. I have no idea what will happen to me when I'm dead, but I'll find a way to let you know I'm okay. I promise._

I was trying to hold the tears off, but they blurred my vision as they held in my eyes. It was time to tell Lissa how sorry I was. _Liss… I feel like such a failure. I set out here, hoping I could find you and get you out of here by myself. That was naïve and foolish. I hope and pray that they'll decide you aren't worth killing. Do whatever you have to to get away from these people. Our friends need you. They've now lost both Mason and me. You need to be there to soften the blow, even if only by a little. Your family needs you. They just lost your mother, even though it doesn't feel like that sometimes. You need to stay alive. They can't handle another death in the family. But, I think this one is most of all, Christian needs you. I know, I know. I still think he's a punk, but he's a punk who I happen to care about. Losing you… I don't know how he could handle that. He's already lost so much. His parents are gone, his aunt is barely home. The only real family he has is you and the rest of our friends. If you don't fight for anyone else, fight for _him_. I love you, Lissa. You're the sister I never had. Of course I'm scared of dying. I don't want to die. But know that if it comes to a choice between the two of us dying, I would happily volunteer. You've been one of the best people in my life. I would trade my life in for yours, no matter what._

Now it was time for the hardest part of all. Dimitri. The tears that were in my eyes now pooled over, running down my face. I could taste their saltiness as a sob rocked through my chest. _Dimitri… My sweet, wonderful Dimitri. I regret doing this most of all because I have to leave you. You've given me one of the best things in the world: love. No matter what happens, you have to keep living for me. I… _I struggled for the right words. _Words cannot describe how I feel right now, thinking about you. I love you, more than anything. I wish I could kiss your lips one last time, feel your touch or even hear your laugh. The only thing I can say to you – the only thing that may give you a fraction of comfort – is that you will be the last thing on my mind, ever. When they take my head in their hands, bent on destroying my life, you will be the one I think of. I'll hold on to all the wonderful memories I have of you. Maybe that will make dying a little less…well, horrible, I guess. When I'm gone, I want you to move on with your life. I want you to continue doing your best to help other people. I want you to learn to love again. Even though I don't like it, I want you to get married and have babies and be happy._

A small, hysterical bubble of laughter made its way through my lips before I could stop it. _On second thought, no women. Adopt babies if you want them._

I sagged in my chair, all traces of laughter gone. "Ow!"

I sat back up quickly, trying to get away from the pain. What the hell just happened? My wrist stung a little, like I'd just been pricked. Doing my best to turn my head around, I caught sight of a little piece of metal at the seat of my chair. When I'd sagged down in the chair, my wrist caught that metal, scraping it. I did my best to turn my wrist so it was facing me. Luckily, Rebecka had done a sketchy job of tying me back up, so I was able to catch a glimpse of my wrist, seeing a few tiny dots of blood on it.

_Damn it, _I thought. _Even the chair is out to get me!_

But, suddenly, an idea came to me. I'd been so caught up in trying to find things around me to cut the ropes that I hadn't even thought about using something on the chair. It was just so obvious! I listened for people outside the door for only a moment before slouching down and bringing the ropes over the piece of metal. It helped that the rope was loose, thanks to Rebecka.

I sat there for what felt like hours, sliding the rope back and forth over the sharp part of the chair. I nicked my wrists a couple more times, but I barely felt anything, thanks to the adrenaline that had shot up in me when I realized I might be able to get out of here. Finally, I heard a quiet rip, like fabric coming apart.

The rope fell off. I was free.

Well, not entirely, not yet. My mind suddenly felt like it had the night I'd "staked" Dimitri at practice, like it was on autopilot. I immediately ran to the filing cabinet Rebecka had gotten the rolling pin out of, my legs shaky. I may have had adrenaline helping me out, but I was still starved and sleep-deprived. It was taking a toll on my body.

The top drawer was empty, save for a whisk and some wooden spoons. Unless I wanted to bake something, these were of no help. I opened the next drawer, finding nothing but papers. My heart began to sink, thinking that Rebecka had probably scored when she found the rolling pin. But, as I opened the third drawer, my hopes returned.

It was filled with tools, one of which was a hammer. It wasn't the best weapon in the world, but it certainly wasn't the worst. I could do some damage with this. I picked it up, weighing it in my hand. Oh, yeah, I was going to crack some skulls open.

That thought would normally be disconcerting, but considering these people were trying to kill me, I didn't give it another thought.

I rushed over to the side of the door, trying my hardest to hear anything that would tip me off as to where everyone was. I could hear some people talking in the front, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. Praying they didn't have a bodyguard posted at the door, I opened it.

There was no one there. The thought I'd had the other day when I slipped through the window came back to me. _These people are so sloppy! It's a wonder they haven't gotten caught yet._

I quietly opened the door to the back, slipping inside. I had to get out of here without them noticing. If they did, they could corner me in the alley next to the building and I'd be done for. I was so busy thinking about that, I didn't notice the two bodyguards having coffee at the counter. Thankfully, they hadn't noticed me either.

I put my back up against the cabinet next to me, out of their view. I might be able to get the jump on one of them and knock them out with the hammer, but I wouldn't get both. I tried coming up with different plans, but they all came back to the same conclusion: I would have to fight my way out of here. Again.

They were both looking out one of the windows, admiring an old-fashioned car in the tiny parking lot. I snuck up to them as quietly as I could. It turned out that I was quiet enough, I just hadn't thought about my reflection in the window.

Bodyguard number one spun around when he saw me, but it was too late. I was already swinging the hammer at his head. It connected with the left side of his face. If I hadn't been so focused, I would've found the feeling of his bones shattering under the weight of the hammer disgusting. I tried to turn to bodyguard number two, but I wasn't fast enough. He ran at me, tackling me to the ground. I let out a piercing scream that mirrored the one breaking my finger had let loose. I dropped the hammer when we hit the ground.

His hand snaked up to cover my mouth, but I turned my head before he could. I knew my next move was dirty, but that really didn't matter. I would do whatever it took to get this asshole off of me. I reached up and grabbed the sides of his face, shoving my thumbs into his eyes. I pushed as hard as I could, this time making him yell out in pain.

He reached up and grabbed my pinky fingers, bending them back. I knew he'd break them if I didn't do something, but I couldn't let up on his eyes. I ground my teeth, ignoring the pain, and pushed as hard as I could. I almost gagged when blood came out of his right eye. He screamed, letting go of my fingers and punching wildly, unable to see. I managed to dodge most of them, but he wound up getting a shot in on my neck.

The muscles in my throat locked up, cutting off my oxygen. I was sputtering on my own spit, making it feel as if I were drowning. Bodyguard number two took the opportunity to pick me up and slam be back down on the ground. I was surprised he hadn't knocked me out, but I couldn't think about it right then.

Because he'd taken a knife out of his pocket. He was on his knees in front of me, holding the knife over his head just like Rebecka had held the rolling pin the other day. I wanted to scream, but nothing was coming out. Instead, all I could do was watch as he brought the knife down into my stomach.

Pain. Once again, my entire world was pain. Every memory of the night in the alley flashed before my eyes. I looked down at my stomach, seeing only the handle of the knife since it's blade was inside of me. I wanted to pull it out, but the sight alone left me paralyzed. _I really am going to die…_

A loud bang caught my attention, making me look up from the horror I'd just experienced. The back door had been kicked in, and standing in the doorway…

…was Dimitri.

I heard the shattering of glass, presumably the windows, but I wasn't paying attention to them. _I knew you'd come for me. I knew you'd find me…_

With the force of a god, Dimitri rushed forward, kicking bodyguard number two as hard as he could in the face. The man's head snapped backward and he fell to the floor, unconscious. I heard what sounded like an army's footsteps running across the floor, but I was too worried about the black ring that was around the edges of my vision to pay attention.

Dimitri was suddenly kneeling over me, his eyes wide with fear. He was saying something, but I couldn't hear him over the load roar that had begun in my ears. That probably should have freaked me out, but it didn't. It actually calmed me, sounding like the ocean Dimitri and I had spent so many nights next to.

I didn't realize I'd closed my eyes until I felt hands on the sides of my face. Lips came down on top of mine. I wanted to lose myself in them and pull away at the same time, but I couldn't move. In fact, I wasn't moving, not at all. I wasn't even breathing. I didn't know how I knew that, but I did. I tried desperately to open my eyes, to take a breath, but it wasn't working. Was I dead already? Was this the afterlife? Did our souls never leave our bodies, forcing us to know and feel everything that was happening around us?

I got my answer. For a moment, I felt my chest rise, like I was breathing, but I didn't feel it for very long. The roar of the ocean became louder and louder, enveloping me in it. I felt like I was underneath the water. It was cool and refreshing, especially after being in so much pain. Without another thought, I let the darkness of the deep ocean engulf me.

[BREAK; DIMITRI'S POV]

"Rose, stay with me!" I yelled, trying to keep her awake, keep her eyes on me. Every time she closed them, they would stay closed a little longer. "We're going to get you help. You're going to be okay. Rose!"

I went numb. No, no, no. This couldn't be happening, not to her. Not to my Roza. "Damn it, Rose, you're strong! Fight it. Stay with me!"

Three other people had come in through the back with me, but they weren't in the room with us anymore. They were taking care of the kidnappers.

I looked down for only a moment to see the knife in Rose's stomach, but it was one moment too many. I knew if we didn't get her help soon, she would die. I looked back up to her face, but her eyes were closed. "Rose?" No answer. No movement. "Rose?!"

Her chest heaved up once more and then fell. It didn't rise again.

Panic seized me. I took her face in my hands, bringing my mouth to hers. I plugged her nose and breathed into her mouth heavily. Her chest rose and then fell again. I started pumping her heart with my hands. _One, two, three…_

Nothing happened. I did it again. Nothing.

"No," my voice cracked. Tears were falling down my face. "Don't leave me. Please, Roza. Please don't leave me." She didn't respond at all. Anger rose into my chest like fire. "Wake up, damn it! _Wake. Up!"_

With still no answer, I scooped her into my arms, careful of the blade. I ran out the back door and around to the alley on the side of the building. "Help!" I yelled. We'd brought an ambulance with us, just in case. "Help me!"

The paramedics already had a stretcher ready. They helped me put Rose on it and slid her into the back of the ambulance. When I tried to get in behind her, a male paramedic stopped me. "You have to stay here, sir. We'll take care of her."

I stepped up to him, only a few inches of space between us. "I swear to God, if you do not let me in there, I will bring the wrath of _a thousand _gods down upon you." I leaned down, my face only an inch from his. "I will make you regret ever being _born_. Understand?"

His face paled as he nodded. "Y-yeah. G-go ahead," he stuttered.

I slipped into the back and sat down on the bench next to Rose. They'd already attached the wires that monitored her heartbeat to her chest. There was a long, steady beep echoing through the cab, signaling that her heart wasn't beating.

My legs bobbed up and down of their own accord as I ran my hands through my hair. Two paramedics were performing CPR on Rose as another took the knife out of her stomach and applied pressure to the wound. As the ambulance started to move, I wondered how we all fit in the cab.

I wasn't aware of any time passing. All I could do was watch and pray, watch and pray. _She'll wake up. She has to. She's not dead. She's not dead. _Please _don't let her be dead!_

"Sir, I'm very sorry, but could you please stop? If you want us to save her, you'll have to be quiet." a young, female paramedic said to me. I hadn't realized I'd been speaking my thoughts.

Tears rolled down my face as they pulled the AED and defibrillator out. I could barely watch as they said, "Clear!" The handles were brought down on Roza's chest, making her rise. I looked at the heart rate monitor. Nothing but that steady beep. "Clear!" they said again. They repeated the process three more times, with the same result.

The three paramedics looked at each other for a moment. They seemed to come to a silent conclusion. The young woman who'd told me to be quiet earlier sat next to me, starting to talk. But I wasn't listening. I was too busy hearing the other two.

"Time of death: 11:04 AM." a young male paramedic said.

The older male paramedic looked at him. "You know they can't pronounce that until we get to the hospital."

"No!" I yelled, rushing over to Rose. "No, she can't be dead! She's not dead! You made a mistake. Do something! _Anything!_" They tried to pull me off of Rose, but my strength was too much. I looked at Rose, talking directly to her. "Rose, you _have _to live. You _have _to! If not for me, for Lissa. Rose, they found her. Lissa is alive! Come back to her. Come back to _me_. Please."

She didn't move, didn't breathe. I looked back and forth between her and the heart rate monitor. There was no change in either of them. I lay my head down on her chest, unable to stop the sobs that wracked my body. I wasn't aware of anything except my Roza. My amazing, life-filled Roza who was now dead. How could she be taken from me so soon?

I looked up at her face, barely getting a grasp on things. I raised my shaking hand to her face and stroked her cheek, which was already starting to go cold. "I love you, Roza." I whispered. I brought my lips to her forehead, lingering there for a minute. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to picture her skin warm against my lips. When I finally pulled away, I whispered, "I love you so much."

_Beep._

My head snapped up to look at Rose.

_Beep._

Her chest rose, a kind of wet sound coming from her throat as she breathed in.

_Beep._

"Move!" I was shoved out of the way as the paramedics rushed around Rose. They started working on her, but I wasn't paying attention to what they were doing. She was alive. Rose was alive!

[BREAK; ROSE'S POV]

"Rose, you _have _to live!"

Where was that voice coming from? I didn't want to hear it, wanted it to leave me alone. Everything was peaceful here under the water. If I acknowledged the voice, it might drag me back out.

"If not for me, for Lissa."

_Lissa? _I thought. _Who's Lissa? No, I don't care. Leave me alone._

"Lissa is alive!"

_Wait. Wait, I know that voice. Who is that? _Suddenly, the water around me was going cold. I didn't like it. It meant that something bad was about to happen, I just didn't know what that was. The water was starting to feel more like it was _keeping _me down instead of helping me. It didn't want to let me go. The thought of that suddenly terrified me.

"I love you, Roza."

_Dimitri? _Light spread out around me. Looking up, I saw the light coming from the surface of the water. What the hell was I doing down here? Where w_as _here? I didn't know, but I didn't care anymore. I kicked my feet and swung my arms around, trying to go up. The water began moving around me, two currents clashing against each other. They kept me from moving.

_Stop resisting, _a foreign voice whispered in my mind. _There's no use. Your time is up._

"No!" I yelled, surprisingly hearing it. Bubbles floated out of my mouth and toward the surface. "Let me go!"

_Are you sure? There's nothing but pain left for you there._

I shook my head. "Dimitri is there. And Lissa. And all my other friends and family."

_Yes, _the voice sighed in my mind. _But they are all in pain, too. Why not wait for them here, in comfort? They will join you one day._

"I don't care. I want to be with them now, even if it is painful. Let. Me. _Go!_"

It did. I was sent flying up to the surface of the water. As soon as I was out, I coughed and sputtered, feeling like there was still water in my lungs. It only lasted a moment, though. Then I was taken away by a different kind of darkness.

* * *

**Whew. That was a hard chapter to write. I really hope you guys enjoyed it. Did you like seeing things from Dimitri's POV? I won't be writing a lot of chapters – even in the next story, which I can now tell you is going to happen – in anyone other than Rose's POV. It makes it too hard to keep up with everyone. I only wrote this little part in Dimitri's POV because Rose wasn't aware of anything around her. Don't forget to review and let me know what you thought :) Thanks for reading!**


	16. Sucker Punch

**I'm glad you guys liked seeing things in Dimitri's eyes, even if it was only for a short time. Thank you for all the reviews, as usual :) Well, let's get into this…**

* * *

"So…she's crazy?"

I was lying in my hospital bed, my parents sitting next to me, just as we had after I'd been attacked in the alley. It had been a couple of days since I'd, well, technically died. It was still weird to think about. I had stitches in my stomach where I'd been stabbed, so I couldn't move around too much.

I nodded. "Yeah, completely bonkers." I paused. "I've told you what happened to me. Now it's your turn."

My mom nodded. They hadn't wanted to tell me what happened with Lissa while I was still recovering. They thought it would slow me down. After assuring them it wouldn't, we made a deal that if I told them everything that happened to me, they would explain things with Lissa and how they'd found out where I was. I'd told them about thinking I'd been stalked and how they'd sent a picture to me about Lissa. I pretty much told them everything except the pictures of Dimitri and me. They didn't need to know about _that _anytime soon.

"The day after you tried to save her, Christian tried to talk to someone on the street about Lissa's whereabouts. He said he knew the guy knew something about it because he reacted to Lissa's picture. He tried to deny it at first, but Christian persisted. I don't know about everything he said to the man, but I do know that he appealed to him by telling him that Lissa was the love of his life. You'd have to ask Christian about everything, but the man wound up telling him that he'd seen Lissa the day before.

"Christian told Mahoney the address the man had given him and they checked it out. Lissa was being held in a small building that was vacant. She was being held by two men no one knew. She wasn't hurt, just a little shaken up. They questioned the men who were holding her, trying to get information about where you were. They'd already figured out that they were just using Lissa to get to you. The men didn't give them anything, though." my mom explained.

My dad took over. "As for how they found you, your mother went to the police as soon as she got home. I was still on my way here. They asked for permission to contact the phone company and get your call logs and texts when they couldn't trace your phone. Of course she gave it to them. It took a while to get the right paperwork and approach the phone company. Even with our permission, they wouldn't give them your phone records without a warrant. So, when I got back in town, the first thing I did was go to the phone company and demand to see your records.

"They couldn't show me what was sent in the messages, but they did show me a list of phone numbers you'd sent and received text messages from. I didn't recognize the first one, so I typed it in my phone, hoping it might be useful. It was. Rebecka's number was in my phone. I didn't know why she would be sending messages to you, so I decided that that was something I needed to tell the police." he concluded.

I looked to my mom, expectantly, but she didn't say a word. When she realized I wanted her to continue with the rest, she looked at my dad, worried. "I don't know. I think that's enough for today, don't you?"

He shrugged. "We've told her everything else. Why not finish it?"

"I suppose." My mom shook her head before turning back to me. "We tried calling Rebecka, but she never answered. Officer Blake went by her house, but no one was home. Their neighbor came out and told Blake that both David and Rebecka left the night before and hadn't been home since. It was suspicious, so they wound up tracing her cell phone. They suspected you might be with her and that there were probably more people with her, so they got a team together to check the place out. And then they found you and arrested everyone."

Again, I thought that Rebecka and her team had been sloppy. How had they not slipped up all this time? If Rebecka was getting phone calls from my parents, she should have turned it off if she didn't want to be found. Maybe she subconsciously _wanted _to be found. The entire time I'd known Rebecka, she was someone who hated seeing anyone even get a scratch. Whether it was Eddie falling off the trampoline, Mia getting hit in the head with a soccer ball, or me falling out of a tree, Rebecka would be there in an instant. She even called Christian's dad one time when Lissa accidently hit him in the head with a baseball bat, making sure she didn't need to call an ambulance.

Putting all of that together, I thought that, in losing her son, Rebecka went crazy in grief, thinking that the only way she could make it even a _little bit _better was by killing me. But she subconsciously knew that that wouldn't make anything better, that she didn't really want to kill _anyone_.

Good God, I was turning into Dimitri.

"So, what happens now?" I asked.

My mom gave me a pointed look. "Now, _you _need to focus on getting better. All you need to know is that Rebecka and her henchmen are locked up somewhere they can't get to you."

Before I could respond, there was a knock at the door. It cracked open and Lissa poked her head in. Her eyes widened when she saw me.

My dad laughed. "I think that's our cue to leave."

With one last kiss on the forehead by my mom – and a promise to keep things short with my friends so I could rest – my parents left. To my shock, Lissa was by herself. She quickly took the chair my mom had just occupied. "Are you okay?"

"Eh, could be worse." I shrugged.

Her eyes began to water and she had the saddest expression on her face. "I was so worried about you."

"Excuse me?!" I asked, bewildered. "You were the one who ran off with a bunch of maniacs. I think I get first dibs on worrying."

"I did that to help you. And then you go and get yourself in trouble anyway." I'd thought my small joke would lighten her mood, but she looked even more grim than before.

I sighed. "Liss, what happened to me would've happened even if you hadn't tried to help. It was inevitable. So, please, don't feel bad or think that this is somehow your fault. I just –"

The door opened, cutting me off. Christian stepped into the room. He was followed by Eddie and Mia, whose faces lit up when they saw me. Christian, on the other hand, gave me a smile and a nod before focusing on Lissa. I think he'd follow her to the ends of the Earth.

"Hey, Rose. How you feeling?" Mia asked, coming to stand on my left, opposite Lissa.

Eddie stayed next to her the whole time. He spoke before I could reply. "I'm a little disappointed. I figured you'd at least have a cast this time."

I laughed. "Sorry to disappoint. I am gonna have a scar on my stomach, though. Does that make up for it?"

They all looked away from me, the mood plummeting in the room around us. Mia was the first to speak. "So…what was it like? Being stabbed?"

"Mia!" Lissa exclaimed, standing up. "Think you could be a little more sensitive?"

"It's alright." I said calmly, hoping everyone else would take a hint. "I don't mind talking about it. Actually, I think I'd prefer it." I waited until Lissa sat back down and everyone looked back to me. "It was…the scariest thing that's ever happened to me. I know it hurt, but the experience of seeing a knife sticking out of me was so paralyzing that it dulled the pain. It was overwhelming."

No one said anything for a minute. In the silence, I had the urge to say something just to fill the void, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. What would I say? I didn't want to go into too much detail. For once, I wished my brain would've blocked my memory.

Christian finally sighed. "I'm starting to think you're indestructible, Hathaway. You got attacked twice and stabbed, but you're still here."

That lightened the mood for about two seconds before Lissa put her hand on mine. "When we got here, you were in surgery, and I heard a nurse saying they thought you weren't going to make it. Eddie heard you were already dead. There were so many rumors going around, we didn't know what to think until you finally got out."

"Uh…" I was locked in a debate in my mind. Should I tell them that I _had _technically died? It might be cool for them to think I'd defeated the grim reaper, but it might also worry Lissa even more. I decided I would tell them, but I'd lighten it up. "Well, my heart did stop for a minute or so. I don't remember anything about it, but that's what they told my parents."

"Whoa. You _died_? I'm with Christian: you're pretty indestructible." Eddie gasped.

This time, we all laughed, including Lissa. They started asking me question after question about everything that had happened. Liss relaxed more and more as we talked. Pretty soon, she was back to her old self. I hadn't realized how long we'd been talking until a nurse came in to announce visiting hours were over.

Lissa held back while the others walked out the door, Christian telling Eddie he needed to pay up for something. "What's all that about?" I asked.

She smiled. "They had a bet going on what injuries you had. Eddie bet you'd be pretty beat up, but Christian thought you'd only have one really bad injury. He was right."

"I'm touched that they were so worried about me." I said dryly.

"Listen," she said, walking over to me. "I…I heard what you wanted me to hear. You know, before…?"

I looked at her, confused. "Before – " I stopped as it dawned on me. She was talking about when I'd said my goodbyes to everyone. So many questions popped up in my mind. How had she managed to do that? Did we have some sort of connection that no one else did? Had she told anyone else about this? But I picked the most important one to ask. "Did you… Did you hear _everything_?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. It depends on how long it was. All I heard was you telling me goodbye and explaining why you'd done what you'd done."

Oh. Okay, so she'd heard what I wanted her to hear. I thought that may come in handy later, but I never got a chance to tell her so. Another nurse came in to tell Lissa that she really had to go. Lissa said goodbye to me and ran to the door, but stopped before walking out.

"Oh, and it's nice to know you don't _completely _hate my boyfriend."

I brought a hand over my face and groaned as she left. She was never going to let me live that down.

[BREAK]

Wednesday morning, I got up and got dressed. It was my first day back to school and I couldn't wait. It would be the first time I saw Dimitri since he'd saved me, but not the first time talking to him. We'd been on the phone the entire weekend, but we couldn't find any excuse to see each other. I was also excited that this would be the first time I got to go to school in a while without having to look over my shoulder constantly. I may have gone through hell, but at least it was all over.

I came downstairs for a quick breakfast before heading off to school. My dad was sitting at the table already, reading the newspaper. My mom lectured me as she made pancakes, telling me to take it easy and come straight home after school so I could rest. I rolled my eyes and said a word here and there to appease her. "Oh, that's right," she murmured as she took a pancake out of the skillet. "Let me go get your note from the hospital. You need to give it to Mrs. Stepp before you go to class, okay?"

She ran off upstairs before I could assure her I would. My dad flipped a page in his newspaper as he asked, "Are you still seeing Mr. Belikov?"

I was momentarily panicked. Instead of automatically apologizing like my brain was telling me to do, I calmly replied, "I guess so. Why?"

He nodded. "Just thought it would be a good idea after everything you've been through. Talking seems to help you. Any idea when your next appointment is?"

"Uh, today. Not sure what time, though." I answered.

He nodded again, the discussion apparently over. My dad was so weird sometimes, but I was thankful he was being weird instead of interrogating me. As I finished my breakfast, my mom brought my note to me. I stuck it in my bag and started to head outside when my dad stopped me, getting up from the table.

"I'm going to take you to school today. We don't want you walking to school with stitches in your stomach." he explained.

I shrugged. It was probably better that way.

The ride to school was silent, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I was used to my dad being silent at times and I really didn't have anything to say. I listened to the radio instead. It wasn't until my dad parked in the parking lot instead of just letting me out that I knew something was up. "What gives?" I asked.

"I want to talk to the principal, make sure he knows you need to take it easy. I don't want anyone giving you a hard time." he explained as we walked to the side of the school.

I rolled my eyes. "No one is going to give me a hard time, old man. Everyone knows what happened to me. Hell, it's been on the front page of the newspaper two weeks in a row!"

"Watch your language." he snapped. His tone of voice meant there was nothing I could say to talk him out of this. It also surprised me. My dad normally didn't care if I said anything like hell or damn. I tried to study his face without him noticing and saw that he was a little angry. Where was that coming from?

Luckily, my friends weren't waiting for me at the school doors today. I didn't want them to see this. We went straight to the office when we got inside.

"Hey, Mrs. Stepp. I have my note from the hospital for you." I explained as I got to her desk. She was wearing an awful dark orange blouse and black pants. Her lipstick matched her blouse.

"Rose, Mr. Hathaway, it's nice to see you. I'm glad you're okay, Rose. Everyone was so worried about you. I'll take that note to – "

My dad cut Mrs. Stepp off. "Is Mr. Belikov in his office yet?"

Mrs. Stepp looked like she didn't appreciate my dad's interruption, but she nodded. "Yes, he just got here. Do you need me to go get him?"

"No, that won't be necessary. I'll go speak with him in his office. Come on, Rose."

The old man dragged me down the hall and into the waiting room. I tried to ask him what was going on, but he wouldn't even let me finish my questions. He knocked on Dimitri's door and every moment we stood there, waiting, felt like torture. What in the hell was going on here? Surely he hadn't found out about Dimitri and I…

The door opened, revealing Dimitri. He was wearing dark blue jeans and a brown t-shirt today. He kept his face calm as he saw my father. "Oh, hello, Mr. Hathaway. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Uh huh." my dad dismissed. "Come on. We need to talk."

There was a pit of fear in my stomach as my dad motioned me inside. Something was definitely wrong here. Dimitri began to go behind his desk, but my dad stopped him, making him sit in one of the chairs in front of his desk. He made me sit in the other chair, taking the chaise lounge for himself.

We said nothing as we waited for him to speak. I wanted to look at Dimitri, but I was scared I would give something away. My dad looked back and forth between us, finally sighing.

"I think I know what's going on here. I saw your phone records, Rose. I know you two have been talking…way more than a patient and counselor would. So, I'm going to give you a chance right now. Before I say anything, I want you to tell me if there's anything I need to know. If you do, I can promise that I won't hurt you." he said.

I looked back and forth between my dad and Dimitri, panicking. How had he come to that conclusion based off phone calls and texts? As far as I knew, the phone company doesn't keep records of what is sent in the text messages, it just showed that a text had been sent. I knew because Lissa's dad had once been convinced that she was sending nude pictures to Christian and tried to find them through phone records. He hadn't been able to find any because it would take up too much memory to store photos in the phone company's database.

There was a long, awkward silence before Dimitri finally spoke. "I don't know what you're talking about, sir."

My dad was on his feet the moment Dimitri finished. He stood over him, looking menacing. "Don't you give me any of that! I know there's something going on between the two of you. I may not be able to prove it, but I wasn't born yesterday. You're going to stay away from my daughter. Do you understand?"

Dimitri never moved, never blinked. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

The old man grabbed the front of Dimitri's shirt, yanking him up. It didn't matter that Dimitri was taller than my dad, he was still intimidating. "Oh, yes, you can. And you _will_. Even if I have to beat you into it."

"Dad!" I exclaimed, trying not to make too much noise. Dimitri's door kept most sound in, but not all. "Stop! Let go of him. We haven't been doing _anything_. Dimitri just helps me deal with everything. Please, don't hurt him."

He stood there looking at me, eyes wide. He still had Dimitri's shirt in his hand. "'_Dimitri_'?" His fingers lost their grip and he took a step back from Dimitri. "I didn't want to believe it. I didn't think you'd ever do anything like this, Rose…" As fast as his anger dissipated, it came back. He glared at Dimitri. "You are never to see her again, never to talk to her. If you even _think _about my daughter, I'll have my lawyers on you so fast, you won't even be able to say 'I'm sorry'."

Dimitri held his gaze for a moment before looking at me. It was clear there was a war raging in his head. He looked back at my dad, shaking his head. "Like I said, I can't – "

The old man lurched forward, grabbing Dimitri's shoulder and raising his right hand in a fist. "If you don't want me messing up your face, I'd suggest you agree to my demands."

"If that's what you have to do to feel better about this, go ahead." Dimitri told him.

My dad really looked like he was going to punch Dimitri, but I stepped up to them before he could. "No, Dad, stop! I…" I looked at Dimitri, hoping he'd understand what I was trying to tell him with my eyes. When I was sure he understood, I looked back to my dad. "I promise I won't see him anymore. Just please don't hurt him."

"You swear?" the old man asked me. "Because if you have some sort of plan to see him behind my back, I'll know. And I won't hesitate to press charges."

"Yes, yes." I nodded vigorously. "I promise. I won't see him ever again."

My dad held my gaze for a moment before finally letting go of Dimitri. "Okay then," he sighed. "We're done here. Let's go, Rose."

"Wait," I said, quickly. "Can't I say goodbye? Please?"

But I could already tell from the look on his face that it was out of the question. "No. Come on."

With one last longing glance at Dimitri, I left his office. I followed my dad out to the hall without a word, Mrs. Stepp handing my hospital note back to me as we did. Without another word, my dad left. I was going to go to the cafeteria to meet my friends, but the bell rang before I could.

How had this happened? Better yet, how was I going to fix this? There was no way I could stay away from Dimitri…but I couldn't risk getting him in trouble. We would just have to find a way to meet without being seen. The problem was finding out where to do that without talking to Dimitri.

On top of it all, I was worried about what else my dad would do. Would he tell my mom? I didn't think he would, but I couldn't be certain. And he'd implied that he wasn't going to press charges unless we kept seeing each other, but… He was so mad. I wouldn't be surprised if he changed his mind.

"Rose?"

I was so worried that I hadn't even been paying attention to my surroundings. I'd been on autopilot, heading to my locker. I looked over to see Ms. Amos in the doorway to her classroom. She was slightly smiling, just like always, but it didn't reach her eyes this time. My face must have been giving all my emotions away and she was worried. "Yes?"

She stepped to the side of her door. "Could I speak with you for a minute?"

"Uh, I have to get to class…" I told her.

She shook her head. "It'll only take a minute. I'll give you a note if you're late."

I shrugged and stepped into her classroom, wondering what was coming next. Today was just full of surprises. I walked over to her desk, expecting her to be behind me, but heard her shutting the door. That feeling of dread I'd had earlier returned. What was going on?

When Ms. Amos turned back to me, she was no longer smiling. Instead, she looked…mad. She walked over to me, staring me down the entire time. She did smile when she got to me, but it wasn't happy-looking. It was…menacing. "Did you get the picture I sent you? What about the ones in your locker?"

I stepped back, gasping. "That…that was _you_?! How?"

"As if I'd tell you." she dismissed me. She brought her face down right in front of mine. "Now, listen to me. You are going to stay away from Dimitri. All your relationship will do is get him in trouble. I can't have that."

My shock subsided as anger took its place. "Are you sure that's the reason? Sure you don't just want him for yourself?" I scoffed.

She put her hands on her hips. "Well, it's not like he really _likes _you. He's probably just using you. I'm actually doing you a favor."

"Like you have a chance in hell with him."

Ms. Amos laughed, pulling something out of her pocket as she did. "It doesn't really matter. All that matters is that you're out of the way. If asking you won't do it, maybe a little incentive will." She unfolded the paper she'd plucked out of her jeans, turning it toward me so I could see. It was another picture of me and Dimitri in Lissa's gazebo. It was almost the same as the picture she sent to my phone, the only difference being us kissing. "I could always take this to Fink."

"I call your bluff." I said, sure of myself. "You wouldn't do that to Dimitri. You love him. You just said you couldn't have him in trouble."

She shrugged. "Well, he'll certainly be put away for a time, but I'll be there when he gets out. Now that I think about it, things are actually better that way. He couldn't possibly still want to be with you after that."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, keep telling yourself that."

"Don't believe me? Alright then. I'll just go have a little chat with the principal. Be right back." She turned toward the door.

Part of me wanted to let her go, thinking she would never do it. But there was another part of me that couldn't take that risk. I reached forward and grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Okay, fine! I won't see Dimitri anymore. You have my word. Just…don't get him in trouble."

Ms. Amos looked at me and smiled. "Be sure that you don't see him again. I'll be watching, Miss Hathaway. Now, you should run along before you're late. I no longer feel like giving you a pass."

Without another word, I left, my mind spinning. I now had not one, but _two _people trying to keep me from the man I loved. Not only that, but one was at home and the other was at school, the two places I could constantly be under watch. The only way we could manage to see each other was if I snuck away, telling my parents I was at a friend's house. But, even as I thought there was no way we would be able to pull this off, I kept thinking the same thing:

There was no way I'd let anyone keep us apart.

_**The End**_

* * *

**Story finished! At least, for now. I might take a day or two off before starting the next one, but there is going to be sequel. I don't know what it will be called yet, but I will add a chapter to this story letting everyone know what the title is once I put it up. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You guys have been the best! I hope to hear from all of you in the next story :)**


	17. Update!

**So incredibly sorry that I haven't uploaded the sequel yet! It is on its way; I promise! I just want to explain to you guys why it's been so long…**

**I have chronic migraines. There will be times where I go 6 months without a single migraine and then 2 straight weeks of nothing but migraines. Unfortunately, I have been having cluster migraines for the past 2 months, pretty much since the ending of this story. I've been going to doctors all over the place and having all sorts of tests done, so I am really tired when I get home.**

**They've been lightening up lately and hopefully they will be gone soon. I am going over to a friend's house tonight, so I don't know if I'll be able to write anything tonight, but I will write tomorrow. I might even be able to have the next story up tomorrow.**

**Just to give you a little something for tonight: the next story is going to be called, "**_**Something Like Fate**_**". Now you'll know what to look for.**

**Again, I am really sorry for not uploading the sequel. I hope you all understand.  
**

**I've also decided to add a little snippet from the next story here, just to get you guys ready...**

**"**

Dimitri and I lay in his bed, wrapped up in the covers. Our naked skin was pressed together. It felt so right just laying here with him, post-sex. In the back of my mind, I thought, _how could it get any better than this?_

He bent his head down, planting a kiss on my lips. "I love you so much, Roza. I'm so glad that we can finally be together, out in the open."

"Me, too," I murmured, inhaling deeply. Dimitri's natural scent was so mesmerizing. "I wish we could just lay here forever."

He chuckled for a moment before looking into my eyes. A sudden flame began in his, hunger taking over his expression. He wrapped his arms tighter around me, pulling me even closer. He rubbed his cheek along mine, bringing his lips to my ear. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready for round two."

A shiver went through me. I hadn't been thinking about it, but my body obviously had. My response was to dig my nails into his back, leaving red trails down it. We both moaned as we slid our bodies against each other. Dimitri suddenly picked me up and turned, placing me back down as he slid on top of me.

"Are you ready?" he whispered.

I looked up at him, confused. "What about a condom?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about that now. We'll get to that part later."

His words caused the warmth between my legs to grow, sliding up to the bottom of my belly. No longer able to find my voice, I nodded.

With a look of passion that could rival Don Juan de Marco's, he came down, our bodies becoming one… "

**Anyone else ready for Blood Sisters? I am so excited! :D**

**~Oblivious**


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